Our Guild
by TheSmilingMask
Summary: [SYOC CLOSED!] Gaea, the lost continent, located west of Alakitasia. A boundless ocean divided the two continents and no one has ever managed to reach it and then go back. Only legends tell of this huge continent that connects north and south but legends always have some truth. A new world and a new adventure await you! I hope I have intrigued you :)
1. Prologue

_**The awakening**_

Gaea, the lost continent, located west of Alakitasia. A boundless ocean divided the two continents and no one has ever managed to reach it and then go back. Only legends tell of this huge continent that connects north and south but legends always have some truth.

Protected by two huge oceans, this land has always remained isolated from the rest of Earthland. Here, the magic appeared hundreds of years before the birth of Zeref but for its inhabitants, Alvarez Empire, Ishgar and other lands are still unknown.

Despite the vastness of this continent, however, humans lived only in the north, in a place called Mera. A third of the continent, in the central area, was occupied by a huge expanse of forests and lakes and was an extremely dangerous and uncharted territory.

Humans called it Green Hell.

The last portion of Gaea, to the south, was a wasteland full of volcanoes, deserts and large arid plains. Here the enemies of the humans, the demons, had established their dominion. Several times they tried to conquer all Gaea but the Green Hell was a dangerous area even for the demons and every time that they had come to Mera, they had always been defeated, although after countless battles.

The last great war, which took place two hundred years ago, was the most devastating and humans found themselves on the brink of extinction, but a young and powerful priestess sacrificed herself to seal the leader of the enemy's army, an ancient demon named Ruganax.

However, the peace and tranquility conquered in the war, will soon be dissolved by the flames of a new conflict.

§ § §

A day like any other was about to end. The shops were now coming to close, the kids ended up playing in the parks to come home and the guards took turns to their companions. Everything was going perfectly, without any hitch, and the king was grateful to the gods for that.

Valener was a serious and wise man marked by his forty years of reign. His calm gray eyes scanned every morning and every evening the vastness of Zafirus, the capital of Mera. It was a simple gesture, but he repeated it every day and it soothed him, allowing him to fulfill his duties as king with a free mind.

The old king was looking at his city even in that moment, from the top of his private rooms where only a few people could access. The man took off his red gold crown, placing it on the sill, and ran a hand through his long gray hair, let loose but perfectly ordered.

«Luckily even today there have been no problems. The news of some mercenaries stationed in the vicinity of the city walls had really alarmed me.» the man wore the crown again, then giving an arranged to the long red robe with golden embroidery, styled with simple blacks boots. «Now it will be better to go to dinner, or Adam will start again to lecture me.»

 _Tu-tum_

Valener's eyes widened in surprise. He had seemed to hear the beating of a heart, but no one was in the room with him.

 _Tu-tum_

Again. The king couldn't be wrong, it was really the beating of a heart, but still he didn't understand where it was coming from. The bedroom door swung open and a guy with short hair blacks, equipped with steel armor without a helmet, rushed into the room «Your majesty! Have you also heard the beating of a heart?»

«So you've heard too Adam?»

«Yes, even the other guards have heard it and immediately ran to look for the source of this sound.» Adam brought a hand on the hilt of his sword that he carried on his right side «It could be a dangerous mage...»

«Don't be ridiculous. Although they aren't all good people, not even the dark wizards would dare to attack the castle.» Valener was sure of his words and Adam didn't reply further, while keeping his hand on the weapon. After several minutes of waiting, and other increasingly loud heartbeats, another guard entered the room, immediately kneeling before the king «Your majesty! We have identified the source of this sound. It comes from the tomb of the priestess Aika!»

Adam and the king were speechless upon receiving the news but the sovereign recovered after a few moments «Call the other guards and guide them to the grave! Immediately!» Valener turned then to Adam «Follow me, we must be sure of the safety of the sepulcher!» and he ran out of the room with his bodyguard behind him.

The two went down into the depths of the castle, passing through a dark staircase lit only by torch held by Adam. Finally, they stopped in front of a huge circular door made entirely of a magical mineral white as snow. There was no one around but, beside the huge entrance, there was a small smooth stone panel, slightly tilted.

The king approached the panel and, after yet another beat, put his right hand on it, closing his eyes.

«I'm the king. No door will remain closed before me. No secret will remain hidden from my eyes. The passage will open before me and the truth will be revealed.»

After a few seconds of silence, the door groaned slowly, then began to split into four segments perfectly identical. Each of them then began to fall within the wall, thus permitting access to the two men.

«Who had the idea for those phrases?» Adam asked with a slight grin. Evidently he found them funny.

«My mother. Something to say about her tastes?» Valener raised an eyebrow staring at his bodyguard who swallowed soundly.

«Absolutely not, sir...»

«Good, let's proceed then. We have to figure out if that sound is related to the priestess.» and, without another word, the king went into the tomb, staring at the huge white marble columns arranged on either side of a gravel path. Beyond the pillars, there were two huge lakes of dark water perfectly motionless and yet were not at all dirty despite being stagnant water. As they passed, several torches placed on the columns lit up instantly, illuminating the huge sepulcher adorned with antique tapestries. They walked for nearly three minutes, but in the end they found themselves in front of an altar perfectly sculpted into the rock.

On the altar there was the slender body of a girl with a white cloth that covered her from neck to toe.

Her long silver hair was arranged like the rays of a sun, occupying much of the altar, while the rest of his body was stiff and lying belly up. The cadaverous complexion distinctly reflected the light of the torches and the king's heart skipped a beat to think that such a young girl had sacrificed her life to stop Ruganax.

A new heartbeat echoed in the tomb and the king nearly jumped back noting her chest rise slowly, as if she was breathing. Adam positioned himself before the king, slowly approaching the girl. When he was close enough, he could see that she almost looked like a little girl with that small body that was to be about one meter and sixty.

Slowly, he watched the body of the priestess starting from the feet then stopping on her face.

She was staring at him.

His heart suddenly stops to observe those huge eyes that looked like two emeralds.

An unmanly scream came soon after, accompanied by the fall of Adam to the ground.

«S-s-she's alive?!»

The king's eyes widened in surprise and moved quickly to Aika's body, noticing her gaze moving on him. After a moment of silence, the king cleared his throat «High priestess Aika, I'm the king of Zafirus, Valener Debrilos. It's a great honor to meet you, although in a situation so...strange...»

Aika stared at him for several seconds, opening the mouth slightly «...ter...»

«I'm afraid I didn't understand.» the king apologized, approaching a bit more to be able to hear better.

«Wa...ter...»

The king nodded quickly, turning then to Adam «Go get some water right away and also something to eat for her!»

With superhuman speed, the boy ran out of the tomb, returning shortly after with some guards after him. The king took the bottle of water and approached the girl, allowing her to drink. Aika drank greedily until the last drop and finally let out a sigh of relief «Thank you, I really needed it.»

The girl sat up slowly massaging her head «I've the body completely numb...I must try to sleep less.»

«Priestess Aika, you...you were dead until a few minutes ago...»

Aika stared at the king slightly confused but in a few seconds, the various memories of the war came back to her, and she nodded slowly «Right...the war. I finally managed to seal Ruganax with my soul and...» the young girl fell silent, her eyes widening «WHY THE HELL I'M ALIVE?!»

The men closest to her winced hearing her screams and the king asked «P-priestess Aika, is there any problem?»

«Obviously there is a problem! My soul should seal Ruganax! If it's returned back into my body, it means that someone has canceled my spell and now, most likely, that bastard is alive again!» Aika explained with an agitated look, alerting the king and his soldiers.

«That demon is back?!»

«It can't be true! Now another war will break out!»

«We must warn the citizens and...!»

«Calm down everyone! Yelling will not help and at this time we must all remain calm in order to think about how to stop him.» Valener turned then to Aika «Sorry to ask shortly after your awakening but...do you think you can defeat again Ruganax?»

«Honestly I don't know. During our last fight I was able to push him over the limit but I lost many comrades in the final battle...also now he could be immune to my seal, or may have found a way to render it useless.» Aika explained, then snapping her fingers, materializing a large silver kimono styled with white sandals «Now I need to meet with the masters of the various guilds in order to propose a possible solution. King Valener, could you arrange a meeting?»

The elder sovereign instantly paled «Well...you see...all legal guilds have been disbanded fifty years ago...»

A look of pure horror mixed to surprise formed on Aika's face «What does it mean? How is it possible that they were all disbanded?! Two hundred years ago there was at least a thousand of legal guilds and they all helped me with the war against Ruganax!»

«I know, all the history books talk about it. My predecessor, Elonal Retuvyl, was a man who hated the magic with all his heart for a plea unfounded. Looking for a way to eliminate the guilds, he planned an attack to a famous nobleman.» Valener rubbed his forehead, sighing heavily «The assassination went well and Elonal manage to revert the blame on the master of a famous guild. Shortly thereafter, he found other allies to wipe out the guilds and even the people in the end sided with him. Fifty years ago, all the masters of the various guilds came together to sign a royal document, promising to disband their guilds. After that day, no guild has never been more created, even now that I'm the king. Wizards just don't want a repetition of such an event and I can understand them. Many mages, during that period, were captured and tortured for false crimes they had not committed.»

«The world is really fell down during my absence...» Aika whispered «I imagine that many mages have found other professions.»

«Yes, simple jobs such as bakers, bodyguards, teachers and others, but in one way or another, they have settled and thankfully people started to respect them again, especially thanks to some mercenaries magicians who, in a certain sense, play the same role that they played in the guilds, accepting missions from people in need.» the king shifted his gaze to Adam for a moment and it was noticed by Aika, but she preferred to not ask questions about it.

«Well it looks like I have no other choice. I'll have to look for some mages that will help me against Ruganax. It may take several days, but I have to be sure of my choices, especially with the firsts mages. Have you something to say about my idea, king?»

«Absolutely not, indeed, I'll get you some documents about mages of our knowledge. They may be interested in what you offer!»

Aika smiled and nodded when suddenly a guard ran over to the little group «Your majesty, something happened with the mercenary troops stationed outside of the city walls...»

«They have accidentally picked a fight with the guards?» it wasn't certainly a novelty since the behavior of some mercenaries but fortunately those brawls didn't last too much, providing at most a few injured, which led the king to release the culprits after a few days in jail.

The guard swallowed slowly «No, my king. All the mercenaries were eliminated in a matter of minutes by a young boy dressed entirely in black. The entire clearing where they were camped is completely saturated with blood, but we have already denied access to citizens.»

«What?! There were at least a hundred and fifty mercenaries?! Who the hell could eliminate them all so fast?!» Adam couldn't understand a thing like that but it was Aika to correct him «Not who, but what and the answer is a mage, an extremely skilled in combat too I'd say.»

«Sent patrols to scour the surrounding area of the clearing and find the culprit!» there was no anger in the voice of the king but sheer calm. It was his duty to enforce the laws created by his predecessors, and he could not let such an act go unpunished.

«Wait king, let me handle this.» Aika interjected «He could be a possible ally for our upcoming fight, so I want to try to convince him.»

Several seconds of silence followed her words, while the king and Aika exchanged intense looks, in front of the guards increasingly uncomfortable due of that silence.

Eventually, the king sighed «If you need this mage to stop that demon, I'll temporarily shut one eye about the crime just accomplished but once the crisis is passed, he'll have to answer for his crimes.»

«Thank you very much! Now I'm going to talk to him. I'll come to see you as soon as I'm done, see you later.» Aika thanked and then dissolved in the air like a mirage, leaving in disbelief the various present.

§ § §

 _Well, the guard was right...this place is full of blood._

The whole clearing had turned into a small blood-red hell. The grass, the trees and the rocks were almost completely covered with fresh blood, but there were also human body parts and internal organs, all cut to pieces by something extremely sharp.

After contemplating the scenery for a while, Aika turned to the architect of the massacre, noting only the long black coat equipped with hood down over his face. Since the guy, intent on cleaning a long black katana, had turned the other way, she couldn't see much of him, so she started to walk around the rock on which he was sitting.

Wanting to immediately observe the face of the boy, Aika found herself instead to watch a black mask with two narrow holes for the eyes. Despite the quite large coat's hood, it wasn't visible even a lock of hair. At that thought, another thing jumped to the eye of the priestess.

Not even a flap of skin of the boy was visible.

His face was completely covered by the mask and a sweatshirt with high collar tight enveloped the entire torso to the waist, covered further by a wide strip of cloth that fell on the right leg. A few large ruined pants, paired with the combat boots, and reinforced gloves completed the equipment of that boy.

He didn't even seem to notice her, continuing to clean his weapon. Aika could distinctly feel the magic power come from that boy, but also sensed something much more dark and cold.

Bloodlust.

That guy, dressed all in black, gave off such a murderous aura even in that state of apparent calm that he could easily be mistaken for a demon. Fortunately for him, she could still distinguish humans from demons.

«I must say that your style of decor is not bad at all, maybe a little 'too red but I can live with it.» Aika could see the boy's face turning slightly toward her «So, can I know why you have slaughtered them like animals?»

«Someone paid me to kill them. End of the matter.» the boy said with a slightly distorted voice.

«Oh, I see, a mercenary mage.» Aika nodded giving another look at the clearing.

 _A_ _n_ _extremely lethal mercenary mage, I'd say._

«Can I infer that you have completed your assignment?» Aika asked looking back at him.

The boy just nodded «Do you want to hire me? Just tell me who I have to kill.»

«I'm sorry, but you won't kill anyone, at least not now. I want your help in order to deal with an extremely powerful demon that threatens the peace of Mera.» Aika explained «My idea would be something more serious than a simple 'work contract'. I'd like you to become a member of my future guild.»

The swordsman turned fully toward her «You must be very brave for come to me to ask such a thing. I don't help people but I kill them, and I believe that joining a guild is the last of my desires.»

Aika watched him in silence for a few moments «Then I will change the type of mission. I have here some special letters that I made a while ago. I wish that you deliver these to the capable mages that you'll find during your trip. Nothing prevents you to get one in your turn, of course, it might take you a lot of money and a lot of blood.» and, after having winked at him, she vanished like a mirage in the air, leaving the letters to the boy's side.

The young man stared at them for a few seconds but then went back to clean his katana. After a few minutes, he sheathed and placed it on his back.

After a few steps, he stopped short, turning to still positioned letters on the rock.

.

.

.

«Dammit...»

Moving with incredible speed, he went back to the rock and grabbed the letters, arranging them in an inside coat pocket, then resuming his walk towards the horizon.

* * *

Ok here we go! My first story with OC on this site! I have a lot of experience with these kinds of stories, but on another site in another language so I apologize if you'll notice the error (I will try to improve with time, I swear!).

As mentioned, this is a SYOC and I'll accept the characters that you will decide to send me! I must warn you that the updates will not be fast, so it may take some time between an update and the next. But enough about bad things and then here's the rules to be able to participate in this fic (the also find on my BIO, in theory, along with the character sheet).

 **RULES**

1) No Mary Sues, Gary Sues, perfect and invincible characters;

2) You must send the character by PM. Head it "Our Guild: *Character's name*";

3) I ask you to review from time to time, to let me know that you are following the story;

4) Maximum two characters per user (also fine brothers, sisters, etc …);

5) Be imaginative and create innovative characters (do not copy the FT characters, because later in the story will appear the canon characters);

6) If you want to participate in the review of this prologue, write how many characters you want to participate with, their gender and their power (as well after the reviewers will already know that power does not take);

7) I accept the various types of slayer magic;

8) If you send a character but then you disappear and I don't hear your anymore, I will remove the character from the story;

9) I also accept non-human characters. Take heed to not overdo it though;

10) Delete what I wrote in parentheses while creating the character;

11) I don't accept pets for your characters.

 **CHARACTER** (All fields marked with* are optional)

Name:

Nickname/Alias *:

Age:

Gender:

Physical aspect (well detailed, please):

Particular signs *:

Guild mark placement and color:

Personality (well detailed, please):

Clothing (Indicate, if you want to, various types of clothing such as the one for sleeping, relaxing, etc...):

Magic (well detailed, please):

Spells *:

Weapon *:

Backstory (well detailed if possible, please):

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Love story (Tell me if you want a love story for your character, what kind of story, with what kind of person you would like it, etc...everything you can think of):

Fears:

Hobbies *:

What I CAN'T do to your character?:

Any ideas for your character (plot ideas, story ideas, etc...):

Other (All you can think of but don't know where to write it) *:

See you around!


	2. Recruitment (I)

_**Recruitment (I)**_

A figure in a dark cloak was advancing along the road in the middle of a forest. On his back was visible a long katana wrapped in a sheath black as the night, the same color of the raven perched on the right shoulder of the guy. Getting close to the last trees, the person stopped to observe the city of Rivianys, about three miles away, surrounded by several rivers that characterized the place. Before resuming the journey, he pulled out from the mantle some letters sealed with the symbol of the king of Zafirus. Aika had handed them to him three days before, telling him to give a letter to each wizard strong enough to fight against the demons and, in all honesty, he did not like it at all.

He was a mercenary-assassin for God's sake, not a postman!

' _Hey there!_ ' said a female voice in his mind making him wince instantly.

«What the...where are you? Show yourself!» shouted the boy looking around for the girl who just spoke to him.

' _Relax, I'm Aika, the girl who handed the letters to you. I'm talking telepathically with you thanks to one of my spells._ ' said Aika with a calm voice ' _I forgot to give you an object that could serve you to recruit wizards for my guild!_ '

«Not my problem. I won't go back to Zafirus just for an item.»

' _Don't worry, it's already in front of you._ ' said Aika with a chuckle.

Looking down, the boy saw a small white scroll with golden carvings that seemed to pulse like a heart. Taking it in his hand, the boy could not help but ask «A scroll...what can I do with a scroll?»

' _It's a magical scroll into which I poured my knowledge. Every time you meet a wizard, ask to him or her the name and in the scroll will appear some data about that person, such as their magic and certain aspects of their personality. It is always useful to know if a girl has a tendency to beat the men or not._ ' explained Aika laughing at the end. Behind his mask, a tick mark appeared on the forehead of the boy.

«I do not care about these things. If they know how to fight, I'll give them a letter. End of the matter, and now get out of my mind.» ordered the swordsman walking toward Rivianys.

' _You're not funny, you know?_ ' asked Aika with a sarcastic tone ' _I'll leave you alone for now but could you at least tell me your name?_ '

«Ask for it to your magical scroll.» said the boy with a grin behind his mask.

' _I was hoping you'd tell me of your own free will, even if I know it already. Do you want me to call you by your name or_ _one of_ _your original nickname_ _s_ _?_ ' asked Aika with a mocking tone.

Another tick mark on his forehead.

«Do you have a problem with my nicknames?»

' _Oh no no, but let's say that 'Grim Reaper' and 'Death' are quite anonymous_ _and old_ _. Can you agree with that?_ '

«Get out of my mind. Now.»

' _Spoilsport...oh well, good luck with those letters!_ ' said Aika before closing their mental link. Shaking his head, the boy continued to walk towards the city until he faced the huge iron gate kept open to let in all travelers. Walking through the streets of the lively city, the boy found himself in a huge rectangular square and, at its center, there was a huge mosaic into the ground, where it was represented a battle that took place on that very spot centuries ago.

' _In this city there are a lot of mercenaries. If I'm lucky I can get rid of these letters in one day._ ' thought the swordsman beginning to walk in the square, looking around to find a possible candidate. His attention was caught, after a few seconds, by a small group of people at the entrance of an alley. Pausing to observe the situation, the boy saw four men, equipped with low-quality weapons and armors, talking to a girl who had her back to two children huddled in the alley.

«Get out of the way, little girl!» said one of the four men with a sword in his hand «Those brats have stolen my wallet!»

The young girl narrowed her eyes of an unusual lavender color «Do not take me for a fool. I've seen how you've dropped your wallet on purpose near them.»

«As if it mattered! They took it and they were going away with it so they deserve a lesson!»

Away from the group, the swordsman in black sighed ' _I just hope that all the mercenaries of this city are not idiots who try to beat some children to pass the time._ ' and then focused on the girl with a light complexion who was defending the two children.

She had wavy black hair that reaches down to her shoulder blades and kept down over her denim vest matched with a gray long-sleeve shirt under it and a pair of jeans, with black converse a black beanie to complete her clothing. However, the boy noticed the bow and quiver that she wore on her back, and that made him think of a huntress or a possible mercenary. Fully turning to the group, the swordsman walked towards them to see if his assumptions were true, just as one of the four men, tired of talking, raised his ax to strike the girl.

Only to be stopped by a bullet that pierced his right hand, causing him to lose the grip on the weapon. Screaming in pain, the man, his companions, the black haired girl and the 'Grim Reaper' turned to who shot, namely a young woman who was a few meters right behind the swordsman in black. A fuming red magnum in her right hand and a bitten caramel slice in the left.

Narrowing his eyes, the 'Grim Reaper' studied the newcomer from head to toe, noting that her right eye wasn't of a hazel color like the left but simple pale, meaning a possible blindness wit that eye, while her long black hair were tied in a ponytail who was shaking lazily in rhythm with her steps. Her figure wasn't too muscular but the swordsman could easily see, under her red tank top matched with a black leather jacket, a thin layer of muscle which did not took away nothing to her total beauty. Her long legs were covered with black hip-hugging jeans and a pair of black boots.

«You know, there are two things that I deeply hate...» said the girl with a cold look in her eye «...the idiots and being interrupted while I'm eating my caramel slices.» walking toward the group of men, she did not even notice the swordsman «So here's what we'll do. You'll go on your way, leaving alone those children, and I will not open a new hole in your asses. It seems to me a reasonable offer, no?»

«You shot him! Now you'll pay for that, you bitch!» screamed a man with two knifes dashing toward the gunslinger. When he was in front, he tried to stab her with both weapons, but the woman made rapid lateral steps and avoided all the blows, then firing two bullets that pierced the hands of the poor fool who had tried to kill her. Even before the man fell to the ground screaming, the woman turned on herself and fired once again, intercepting a dagger that the fourth member of the mercenaries had launched to her, hoping to take her by surprise. The blade was shattered in mid-air and the bullet pierced with incredible precision the hand used to launch the weapon.

The only still unarmed man looked terrified at his comrades on the ground and started to run away but suddenly felt a cold shiver down his spine and, in a matter of a moment, he found himself locked inside a box made entirely of ice.

«W-what the hell is this?!» screamed the man inside the box «Let me out! Let me out now!»

«You'll stay in there as long as the ice does not melt and you should be grateful to me for having left some holes to allow you to breathe.» said the girl with the bow before turning to the children with a small smile on her face «Keep the money and go to eat something warm, you need it.»

«T-thank you!» said one of the children, a little girl with short blonde hair before running away with her friend behind her. The girl with the bow then turned to the gunslinger narrowing her eyes «I did not need help. I could have defeat them by myself.»

«Well too bad, little girl. I'm not one who sits on the sidelines.» said the gunslinger with a small grin then looking at the swordsman in black «Not like some people who prefer to stand and watch.»

«Reluctantly I had to hold back, 'Deadeye'. I wanted to see if that girl with the bow was a mercenary.» said the boy with a calm and distorted voice while looking at both girls.

«So the 'Grim Reaper' knows me. Should I feel honored?» asked 'Deadeye' dematerializing her magnum.

«Do as you prefer, I don't care.» he replied with a shrug «However, I must ask you to take these letters and read them.»

Both girls watched the letters, especially the blue seal representing a five-pointed star with a small spiral at the center, the symbol of the king.

«Since when you're the postman of the king? To my knowledge you are a mercenary who is hired only to kill other people.» said 'Deadeye' with a curious look on her face.

«I'm not his postman and I'm not doing this for him. A girl asked me to deliver these letters to wizards strong enough to be able to help her with a threat concerning some demons. She also mentioned a guild of which she will be the master. I think you'll find more information it in these letters.» explained the swordsman while the girls picked the letters.

«A guild? This girl must be someone important if she wants to go that far.» said the girl with the bow breaking the seal on the letter, opening it soon after. Much to her surprise, in the middle of the sheet of paper there was a black circle made of ink which morphed into a text after a couple of seconds, revealing a message addressed directly to her.

 _§_

 _Dear Remi Talion,_

 _You do not know me, but I know you and everything that I need to know about your magic and your past. I want to warn you that this message will be visible only to you so you have nothing to worry about, also I won't share the most personal information about you with anyone._

 _Probably, the one who gave you this letter mentioned the guild that I decided to found. It's all true. A new guild will rise in Zafirus and I want you, and many others, be the first members of this new guild. I know this may sound absurd, but if you will grant me a bit of your confidence and come to Zafirus, I will explain to you and to other wizards for what purpose I decided to found a guild._

 _If my explanation will not satisfy you, you will be free to leave._

 _Just know that your decision will change the fate of many other people and that many children may lose their parents in ways far worse than a storm in the open sea._

 _You'll find me in Zafirus, in the king's palace. In five days from now, the guild will be born._

 _I wait for your arrival and that of your future guildmates._

 _Signed:_

 _High priestess Aika, keeper of Mera_

 _§_

Remi widened slightly her eyes rereading the letter and focusing on the point related to the storm in the open sea.

' _So this Aika really knows my past..._ ' she thought then looking at 'Deadeye' and the fury visible in her face ' _She must have hit a nerve in her letter too._ '

Unknowingly, Remi had correctly guessed the reason for the anger of the gunslinger, which did nothing but grow just after the first three words.

 _§_

 _Dear Beatrice Lawton,_

 _also known as 'Deadeye'_

 _You do not know me, but I know you and everything that I need to know about your magic and your past. I want to warn you that this message will be visible only to you so you have nothing to worry about, also I won't share the most personal information about you with anyone._

 _Probably, the one who gave you this letter mentioned the guild that I decided to found. It's all true. A new guild will rise in Zafirus and I want you, and many others, be the first members of this new guild. I know this may sound absurd, but if you will grant me a bit of your confidence and come to Zafirus, I will explain to you and to other wizards for what purpose I decided to found a guild._

 _If my explanation will not satisfy you, you will be free to leave._

 _I know that you felt a huge pain losing your son and your husband, but I also know that you want to start over in some way and this is why I ask you to come to Zafirus and give me a chance, so that other people do not lose their loved ones._

 _You'll find me in Zafirus, in the king's palace. In five days from now, the guild will be born._

 _I wait for your arrival and that of your future guildmates._

 _Signed:_

 _High priestess Aika, keeper of Mera_

 _§_

After a few seconds, Beatrice sighed heavily. She did not like the tone used in the letter, not counting the fact that Aika had not immediately told the reason to summon her to Zafirus. However, the 'threat' hidden in the letter was clear and a threat was on the horizon. A threat big enough to force the creation of a new guild after so many years. Turning to the swordsman, she raised an eyebrow see that he was already gone. Looking around she saw no sign of his presence.

Sensing her thoughts, Remi said «He must have moved away while we were reading the letters. I guess that in your letter is written to go Zafirus and that, apparently, there is something that threatens the peace of Mera.»

Beatrice nodded «Did she mentioned something related to your past as well?»

«Yes, something very personal...» she then looked at the sky «Something that I don't want to remember.»

«I see...well, what are you going to do, little girl?» asked Beatrice while eating her caramel slice.

«I don't know. I'll talk with my brother and only then I will decide. By the way, my name is Remi, not "little girl".» she answered turning her back to Beatrice before walking away.

«If by chance you will accept, we will meet again in Zafirus!» Beatrice told her loud enough to be heard, then turned around and headed for the capital thinking ' _A guild, uh? Maybe it will be a good place to start again._ '

§ § § § §

' _Two down...at least it's a start._ ' thought the swordsman entering an inn where he knew he could get different information for his research but especially for his work. Looking around, he saw several drunken men talk to each other while some maids served at the tables. Greeting the man behind the bar counter with a nod, the boy put his katana beside him, relaxing slightly.

«Hey handsome, what do you want to order?» purred a female voice behind him. Turning slightly, the boy found himself face to face with an incredibly beautiful girl who had eyes as red as blood, which seemed to watch him with interest and...lust? Ignoring that particular, the swordsman said to want only a strong drink.

Smiling, the maid nodded and walked away, waving her long silver hair, kept free along the back. Raising an eyebrow, the 'Grim Reaper' noted how the waitress was swaying her hips, receiving various whistles from several men present. Certainly the black and white maid outfit that she was wearing helped to emphasize her figure, especially her legs and chest.

«And so Karin has also caught your eye? Well I'm not surprised, that beauty is one of the reasons why my business is booming!» chuckled the bartender walking toward the boy who looked back to him. The man in question was wearing worn clothes with a gray apron to cover his belly. Being now over fifty years old, he had lost all his hair but his green eyes still shone like those of younger guys.

«I'd say so, Maxwell. I was almost tempted to shut her mouth with my sword.» said the swordsman in a dangerous tone. Normally, such a sentence would have made think of some significance not quite pure, but Jack was in business with that boy for several years and knew that his words should be taken literally. All the people who worked with the 'Grim Reaper' knew very well that he hated with all his heart the womanizers and the women of easy virtue. Not surprisingly, the majority of his 'free victims' fell in those two categories.

«I know I know, but I would ask you not to touch her. I do not want to see my local destroyed by you two.» said Maxwell with a serious look «She may not be good like you to use a sword, but if you decide to deal with her you could burn yourself a lot. Trust me.»

The swordsman raised an eyebrow at those words. Maxwell had just given him some information about Karin and were very interesting. That maid wasn't a warrior, but a sorceress with the power of fire. A very strong sorceress among other things.

«I'm sorry for you, but maybe I will have to send her away. I was asked to find strong wizards and handing them a letter.»

Maxwell opened his mouth for say something.

«If you care about your life don't say that I'm a postman.»

Maxwell closed his mouth. He really cared for his life.

«I said that I do not intend to pay for this lousy wine!» shouted a man raising from his chair while looking at maid in front of him. Said maid, namely Karin, just smiled at him «I'm afraid that it's not possible. While you have your own tastes for wines, other customers don't share your judgment about this wine so you have to pay for it.»

«Convince me! Perhaps with those hands of yours, you could help my little friend.» said the man with a grin while looking at her chest.

Karin's smile widened «Of course, dear costumer. I'll gladly help you and your little friend.»

Shocking slightly the 'Grim Reaper', the girl moved her right hand to the man's groin up to touch it, but at the last second she tightened her grip on his jewels making him wince. Before he could say anything, a look of pure terror became visible on his face.

The reason?

Karin's hand was now wrapped in scarlet flames which were slowly consuming the man's groin.

«S-stop it! Please stop!» the man screamed, unable to move due to the pain in his lower region «P-please! I'll pay! I'll pay for that wine!»

«I'm sorry, dear customer, but I can't hear you very well.» said Karin with a calm voice while showing that scary smile.

«I...I...I said that I'll pay! Twice! I'll pay twice the price of that wine just please! Let me go!» the man was now crying like a baby while trying to not faint.

«What a generous customer!» Karin stopped the torture «I hope that you'll come back!» and with that, she walked toward another table, leaving the wounded, and now castrated, man on the ground.

«Not bad.» murmured the swordsman in black looking at her «That torture was indeed a really good one.»

«Yup! You should have seen her when she sat on the lap of a customer and she wrapped herself completely in red flames as she hugged him. That poor bastard screamed for hours even after she was gone.» said Maxwell with a laugh.

«What had he done?»

«He slapped another maid and Karin is very protective toward the others.» the man explained looking at the fire sorceress.

«Well, looks like she earned a letter from that girl.» said the swordsman before walking toward Karin who had already sensed him.

«What can I do for you, dear customer?» she asked while cleaning a table.

«Take this letter and read it. It's important.»

She looked at the letter and then at his mask «Oh my, if you want to hang out with me you just need to ask.»

The boy had to use most of his willpower so as to not attack her on the spot «It's not from me. Just read it.»

Chuckling, Karin took the letter and opened it, reading the message when formed with the ink.

 _§_

 _Dear Karin Torishima,_

 _also known as 'Infernal Demon' or 'Succubus'_

 _You do not know me, but I know you and everything that I need to know about your magic and your past. I want to warn you that this message will be visible only to you so you have nothing to worry about, also I won't share the most personal information about you with anyone._

 _Probably, the one who gave you this letter mentioned the guild that I decided to found. It's all true. A new guild will rise in Zafirus and I want you, and many others, be the first members of this new guild. I know this may sound absurd, but if you will grant me a bit of your confidence and come to Zafirus, I will explain to you and to other wizards for what purpose I decided to found a guild._

 _If my explanation will not satisfy you, you will be free to leave._

 _I know that you felt a huge pain losing your father and your village, but if you really want revenge against those who killed your father, come to Zafirus and give me a chance, so that other people do not lose their loved ones._

 _You'll find me in Zafirus, in the king's palace. In five days from now, the guild will be born._

 _I wait for your arrival and that of your future guildmates._

 _Signed:_

 _High priestess Aika, keeper of Mera_

 _§_

Karin read the letter a couple of times without losing her smile and in the end looked up on the swordsman.

«Are you perhaps a member of this new guild?» she asked again with lustful eyes.

«No, I'm just delivering these letters. Nothing more.»

«Aww...wouldn't you like to join it? It might be fun, for both of us.» at that moment she pressed her chest against his, feeling his well tuned body. His willpower was actually reaching minimum levels.

Grabbing her by the shoulders, he gently pushed her away from himself «My answer doesn't change. I won't join a guild. Now, do you know if there are other strong wizard in this city?»

Karin seemed to think it over and then nodded «To my knowledge there are seven mages besides me but I can feel that you've already talked to two of them. We should find one of the others nearby if he has not already ended his challenge. The other four should be at the arena around the three o'clock in the afternoon.»

Before the swordsman could thank her and leave, she grabbed his arm, making sure that it ended in the middle of her breasts «Follow me, I will take you to them without wasting time...but if you want to stop at my house for a little relaxation, I would not say no to you.» and winked at him.

«Take me to them. Now.» he said before freeing his arm from her grasp.

Looking at the two wizards leaving the inn, Maxwell could not help but wonder ' _I wonder how much he will be able to resist. Karin can be really stubborn if she wants..._ '

§ § § § §

«This would be the place of his challenge?» asked the swordsman while looking at the dojo in front of him. The building was made of stone and wood and was kept in excellent condition, there were also several coats of arms hanging above the entrance door, indicating what martial arts were taught there. According to Karin, within that dojo there was a guy named Lato Farrona but he wasn't a student, but a challenger. Not coincidentally he was also known as 'Gym crusher'.

«Yes, I have heard of his arrival in town this morning and since there is only one dojo throughout Rivianys, I'd say that we can find him here.» Karin said before jumping away with the swordsman, avoiding at the last a man thrown out of the dojo through the door that was shattered being made of wood. Observing the unconscious man, both noted the various bruises adorning his face, while his karate-gi (the white 'kimono' used for karate, judo, etc...) was torn in several places.

' _I think he has a concussion. This Lato hits really hard._ ' thought the 'Grim Reaper' looking back at the dojo before entering with Karin. In front of them, about twenty meters away, there was a boy with his right arm still lying ahead. His body was pretty muscular and he was at least a meter and eighties tall, about the same as the swordsman. The pale skin of his body emphasized the particular color of his hair and beard, in fact he had violet spiked hair that almost covered his right eye and a thin braid, wrapped in a white tape, at the base of the neck which was over is right shoulder, while his beard was short but it covered his entire jawline and chin, and it was violet as the hair. The color of his eyes was unknown since he was keeping them closed.

Walking toward him, both the swordsman and Karin looked at his entire body, noting how it was trained to be a weapon. He was definitely a skilful martial artist and his clothes were a clear indication.

He wore a maroon shirt with rolled up sleeves, a pair of black combat trousers with many pockets which almost covered his tan fighting shoes. Both his hands were wrapped in the same white tape as his braid, plus a pair of black fingerless gloves. Shortly behind him, thrown to the ground, there was a tan leather satchel bag.

«Lato Farrona I presume?» asked the swordsman and the violet hair boy nodded with a smile while keeping his eyes closed.

«The one and only. How can I help you...um...I did not catch the name.» said Lato while 'looking' at his interlocutor.

«My name is irrelevant. According to what is said around, you're a wizard so I have to deliver to you a letter written by a certain Aika. Read it, and then you can do whatever you want.» said the guy in black with an annoyed tone.

«To be more precise, these letters were written by the High priestess Aika, keeper of Mera.» added Karin with a smile, surprising the other two.

«Really? She's a priestess?» asked the swordsman.

«Yes, it's written in the letter but you can't read it due a spell of hers.» explained the maid.

«Well, I'm sorry to be a spoilsport, but I'm not interested.» said Lato picking up his bag before heading toward the exit.

«Really? And yet I thought you wanted to find your sister.» said the 'Grim Reaper' with a calm voice making Lato stop instantly. The special scroll of Aika had revealed that Lato was looking for his sister and so he had decided to use that information to blackmail him. It was a shameful tactic but the 'Grim Reaper' did not want to waste time.

«You're playing a dangerous game, swordsman. If you don't want to die, avoid to name my sister again. It's better for you.» said Lato with a calm, and at the same time, dangerous voice without looking at him.

«Can't do that. I want to deliver all of these letters so as to be left alone. You'll read this letter.» threatened the 'Grim Reaper' just before being punched in the chest and sent flying against the farther wall.

Although surprised by the speed of Lato, Karin stood aside to see the end of the discussion. She was supposed to help the swordsman to defend himself but actually they were not even allies, and she wanted to find out something about him, such as his fighting abilities.

«Last chance to shut up.» hissed Lato staring at his, soon to be, opponent.

Opponent who got up after a few seconds, dusting off his clothes as if nothing had happened «A very powerful punch but I have not felt magic in that shot, so that was pure physical strength. Impressive. However that kind of shots do not work against me.»

«I can say that. With that fist I've lunched the master of this dojo through its door.» said Lato dropping his bag.

«Please. That man is a simple human. No power, no magic, no skills...you were fighting an amateur at best.» taunted the swordsman while placing his katana against the wall «If I have to beat you to a pulp to make you read a letter, so be it. I was bored anyway.»

Lato slightly bent his legs, leaving the arms along the body «Lightning Spear: First form...»

In a blink, Lato was in front of his opponent and tried to hit him with his right arm, using his hand as the tip of a spear. The swordsman instinctively took a step back, but Lato rotated his torso to the left, thus increasing the range of his right arm. The 'Grim Reaper' raised his left hand and grabbed the wrist of Lato, blocking the attack but at the last second he saw the left fist of his opponent.

Bending his right arm, the boy in black used the elbow to the intercept the fist and, upon impact, the sound of breaking bones was heard in the air, but Karin could not say to whom belonged the broken bones. The two opponents exchanged a long glare, though Jack still had his eyes closed, then jumped away from each other. Narrowing her eyes, Karin could notice a slight tremor in Lato's left hand and in the right arm of the swordsman.

«The "Law of the five elements". A martial art as ancient as powerful. Few people practice it.» said the 'Grim Reaper' without losing a heartbeat.

«I'm glad you knows it. I assume that you know how to counter it.»

«With my sword, yes. Without it I can hold my ground but I can't easily win, but still...» the tremor in his arm died in a couple of seconds «I know for sure that I can last longer than you.»

' _He used a healing spell...or his body isn't completely human._ ' thought Karin while looking at both the fighters until a little tremor shook the building. All three wizards looked at each other and then, without saying anything, they went out into the street to see what was happening. Just in time to see a person fall over the building in front of them, destroying part of the roof.

«Talking about bad landings.» said Lato with a chuckle waiting for the person to come out from the building. After a few seconds of waiting, a guy jumped off the roof, landing in front of them and, as he dusted his clothes and hair, the three wizards took the opportunity to study him.

He was as tall as Lato and even his body was athletic and defined with a light tan skin. His short thick raven black hair, which had silver highlights, were neatly combed to the left and some bangs were falling over his almond shaped blue eyes. Despite the physical suitable for a warrior, his clothes were quite normal given the black and white camouflage skinny jeans matched with a black leather jacket which was open, revealing a dark red v neck shirt with a pair of black chrome sunglasses hanging from it. A black belt with a silver cross belt buckle and a pair of black 'slip on' shoes were the lasts elements of his clothing. However the only thing that caught the attention of the 'Grim Reaper', was the kikoku sword, long five feet, strapped on the back of the newcomer. It had an oblong-shaped hand-guard coated with short black fur, sheathed in a white scabbard decorated with black letters saying "God Of Victory" and a small piece of gold rope tied near its opening with a small silver cross hanging off of it.

«Here you are, you bastard!» shouted a female voice from above. Looking at he sky, the four saw several big pieces of rock levitate in mid-air and, over one of them, there was a girl equipped with a red armor with golden details. The armor was quite anonymous but the big demon horns adorning its helmet made it somewhat peculiar.

«So I have to face the girl? Definitely not my lucky day.» said the boy with the kikoku sword before jumping away, avoiding a piece of rock which was thrown by the armored girl. Moving forward her hands, the girl hurled other boulders but this time the boy drew his sword and cut them all accurately, by dropping the pieces on the ground.

«We are lucky. They are two of the wizards who were to be the arena.» said Karin before pointing at the armored girl «Her name is Jannet Valver and is part of a mercenary duo, the other member is her brother, Ethan Valver. She can use different mental powers and her armor is made of a special metal that can 'regenerate' the damaged parts.»

«How do you know? You've already met them before?» asked Lato looking at the fight with a calm expression.

«Gathering information is one of my specialties.» explained the girl with a wink.

«And the other? The one with the sword.»

«Lorenzo Cortez. I do not have much information about him but I know he uses a magic related to a god but completely different from that of a God Slayer.» said Karin while looking at the black haired boy, especially his body. While Jannet threw two more boulders to Lorenzo, a new earthquake shook the ground and the three spectators turned their eyes to the right, noticing a large column of smoke not far away.

«You said that Jannet has a brother, right?» asked the 'Grim Reaper' and Karin nodded «I'm going to take a look, you stay here and keep an eye on these two. If the situation were to escalate, do something. The wizards are not frowned upon, and certain behaviors do nothing but worsen our reputation.» Before leaving, though, he gave to Lato three letters «Our fight is not over, but for now take a letter and read it, the other two are for Jannet and Lorenzo as soon as they will calm down. I do not care what you think, just read it. If you are not interested you can also tear it up and leave.»

«Are you leaving me here?» asked Karin pressing her chest against his back while embracing him in a hug.

«Yes. I won't go back to Zafirus like you therefore, our paths diverge here.» explained the swordsman before freeing himself and leaving.

Lato looked at the three letters in his hand and sighed ' _Well, if by doing so I can find my sister, I might as well take a look but first we have to stop those two vandals..._ '

Just at that moment, Lorenzo seemed to take the initiative and jumped on top of a roof and then run towards Jannet, who rose into the air three more blocks of rock and used them to attack his opponent, without worrying about the damage caused to the city. However, before the boulders could hit the roof or Lorenzo, a scream echoed in the air «Fire Devil's Rage!» and a torrent of crimson flames incinerated the blocks of rock, forcing Lorenzo to stop. He then looked down at Karin who was smiling at him without a care in the world.

' _She's_ _a Devil Slayer?_ ' thought Lato slightly surprised ' _That's a very rare lost magic._ '

«Hey bitch! Why did you block my attack?!» screamed Jannet looking at her.

«Your attack would only have damaged the city and would have risked to harm or kill civilians.» explained Karin with a smile «But if you want to keep fighting, then face me. I guarantee that when I'm finished with you, you will lose the desire to go around destroying buildings.» and her eyes turned cold like ice, making the armored girl flinch.

«I guess there's more.» said Lorenzo landing in front of the maid «The swordsman who was with you headed to the arena, but you two stayed here for us.»

Karin nodded «Long story short, the swordsman gave us two letters for you. The content should be similar to that of my letter, that is, you have to come to Zafirus to join a new guild and face an unknown threat. By reading your letters you will understand more.»

Jannet, Lorenzo and Lato looked at her without showing any emotion. The idea of a guild was quite unexpected and, judging from the visible seal on the letters, the king had given his permission to create it.

«Let's say I come and Zafirus with you. What's in it for me?» asked Lato while looking at his still sealed letter.

«As you already know, our future guildmaster will be Aika, the keeper of Mera and she is a High priestess. I imagine that being part of a guild under her command with the blessing of the king will bring benefits to all of us, such as money, information and so on.» Karin said while looking at each one of them «In addition, our enemies will probably be demons, and so it might be a good way to kill as many as possible.»

Lorenzo maintained a calm look and walked over to Lato, holding up a hand «Could I have one of those letters?»

Lato just handed him one letter before opening his own. Karin already knew that Aika would probably have mentioned Jack's sister for making him join the guild but what surprised her was the look of Lorenzo which from calm had gone to shaken then to peaceful and finally calm again.

«Ok, I'm in.» said Lorenzo putting away his letter «To me it seems a good offer.»

Karin nodded with a smile and then looked at the other guy. Lato was particularly interested in the offer. According to what Aika had written, she could help him to find his sister in no time, and who was he to refuse such an offer?

«Fine with me, I'll come to Zafirus with you. It may be interesting.» said Lato with a smile but Lorenzo could say that that was a fake smile, though he remained silent.

The sound of paper torn in pieces captured their attention and, looking up, they saw Jannet throwing away her letter after having read it.

«I assume that you have refused the invitation?» asked Karin with her calm voice.

«Oh but how smart you are...from what you've deduced it?» mocked Jannet while folding her arms over the chest «You can tell to this Aika to go fuck herself. My brother and I do not want to have anything to do with a stupid guild. And you!» she pointed at Lorenzo «Next time you won't be so lucky!»

Before the black haired boy could say something to her, the girl in armor teleported instantly, vanishing from sight.

«Well at least you have decided to accept the offer.» said Karin looking at the boys «So, shall we go?»

«Wait a minute...you're planning to travel dressed like that?» asked Lorenzo since Karin was still dressed with her maid outfit, white stockings and black shoes, Mary Jane style.

«But of course! Do you have a problem with that?» asked the girl walking away while swinging her hips.

The two boys looked at each other for a moment.

«I'm not complaining.»

«Me neither.»

§ § § § §

 **[Ten minutes ago]**

Looking at the walls of the arena, the 'Grim Reaper' knew immediately that it was not built to contain the clashes between mages. The section of wall destroyed was a fairly obvious proof. Another explosion inside the arena further weakened the structure and an armored figure was used as a battering ram to destroy another piece of wall, dropping a lot of rubble near the swordsman who did not move at all.

The person slumped on the ground was quite imposing, and his armor was blue with silver details and a horn on his forehead, similar to that of a unicorn. The swordsman deduced that that knight was Ethan, Jannet's brother.

Cursing out loud, the boy in armor stood up rubbing his neck «Damn, that girl really hits hard. No coincidence that her magic is supposed to kill gods. Oh well, when I'll kill her, I will enjoy her magic and her body in peace.»

The 'Grim Reaper' could almost see Ethan lick his lips even though they were hidden by the helmet and suddenly had an urgent need to kill him. Before he could act, however, a giant ball of clay hit the ground next to Ethan, but he managed to jump away in time, avoiding any kind of damage. Glancing at the top of the arena walls, the swordsman saw the girl who had thrown the attack.

She was slightly shorter than the 'Grim Reaper' and her body was athletic and curvy, graced with two bright light blue eyes that stood out along with her long blonde hair tied in a ponytail that reached her lower back. Due to the height at which she was, a light breeze was swinging her white tunic styled with blue jeans, a bright transparent red scarf around her neck, a pair of red 'slip on' and a red cap on her head.

' _I think I found the last mage._ ' thought the swordsman looking at the girl who jumped down in the street, creating a small crater on impact. Without hesitation, she rushed to her opponent and her right arm turned into a giant hammer made of hardened clay.

«Clay God's Hammer Fist!» she screamed before slamming her weapon on Ethan who dodged again the attack with a back-flip. In both hands he created a sphere of red energy that threw against the girl but she, under the surprised look of Jack, melt in a blink, becoming clay, and avoided completely the two attacks. Returning to her original shape, the girl began to fight his opponent with kicks and punches, and Ethan managed to stand up to her in spite that he was hit from time to time. After a final exchange of blows, the two opponents departed with a jump.

«You're making me angry! Are you going to fight seriously?!» asked/shouted the girl with a cold glare.

Ethan merely chuckled «Why should I? I will not spoil that beautiful body of yours.»

The girl's anger grew even more, but in that moment, Jannet appeared behind Ethan, placing a hand on his shoulder «Enough, brother. We're leaving.» she then looked at the 'Grim Reaper' and he felt the KI (Killing Intent) directed toward him.

«Aw...you're a spoilsport, sister! Oh well, I'll take that body another day. See ya, clay girl!» waved Ethan before disappearing with his sister.

«Stop! Come back here and face me!» the blonde screamed before stomping the ground with a food, making the earth shake «That fucking coward! Can't even finish a fight!» she then noted the swordsman and, for some reason, her anger grew even more «YOU!»

The 'Grim Reaper' looked at his sides and then pointed at himself as for asking "Me?"

«Yes you! It's your fault!» she accused walking toward him «That girl with the red armor looked at you with some KI before leaving, and therefore she felt anger for you! This means that because of you, she took away my opponent and did not let me finish the fight!»

Behind his mask, the swordsman was looking at her with an "Are you serious?" look.

«I don't know what you're talking about and I'll pretend I did not hear your accusations.» said the guy in black before handing her a letter «From what I've seen you have the magic of a God Slayer so you are pretty strong. Take this letter and read it. I had one for your opponent too, but apparently his sister must have rejected the offer.»

«A letter?» she asked looking at it «From the king?»

«Just read it...» his patience was decreasing rapidly and he had already decided that after this god slayer, he would not seek other mages. Meanwhile, the girl had opened her letter.

 _§_

 _Dear Daisy Pride,_

 _You do not know me, but I know you and everything that I need to know about your magic and your past. I want to warn you that this message will be visible only to you so you have nothing to worry about, also I won't share the most personal information about you with anyone._

 _Probably, the one who gave you this letter mentioned the guild that I decided to found. It's all true. A new guild will rise in Zafirus and I want you, and many others, be the first members of this new guild. I know this may sound absurd, but if you will grant me a bit of your confidence and come to Zafirus, I will explain to you and to other wizards for what purpose I decided to found a guild._

 _If my explanation will not satisfy you, you will be free to leave._

 _I know how you feel about your parents and if your desire is truly to become the strongest, know that by yourself, you will never reach the summit. A guild is not just a place where you can cultivate friendships but also a place where you can become stronger and stronger._

 _You'll find me in Zafirus, in the king's palace. In five days from now, the guild will be born._

 _I wait for your arrival and that of your future guildmates._

 _Signed:_

 _High priestess Aika, keeper of Mera_

 _§_

' _The strongest uh?_ ' Daisy looked up on the swordsman «Fight me.»

«Say what...»

«I said: fight me!» she repeated «I'll go to Zafirus but only after a fight with you, since it's your fault that my opponent was taken away.»

«Not gonna happen. I have better things to do.» said the 'Grim Reaper' before walking away.

«Are you saying that I'm weak?!» Daisy reached for him walking besides the boy «I have never left an unfinished fight and for sure I will not start now so you shall take the place of that guy in armor!»

«I said no.»

«You don't understand. It's very important to me so stop being a snob and face me!» she did not seem inclined to leave him alone. Unfortunately for him.

«For the last time. No.»

«A girl is asking you to fight her, so that her honor is not stained, and you say no?» Daisy asked with a cold glare «You're a heartless bastard!»

«Thanks, I do my best.»

«Fight me, damn it!»

§ § § § §

A hundred miles away, in the depths of a cave in the heart of Gulunif, the realm ruled by demons, a man walked with slow and controlled pace. His butler outfit was perfectly ordered as well as his black hair kept slicked back. His bright golden eyes were devoid of any emotion and his face seemed carved into the rock.

After several minutes, he came to a larger room where there was a stone table with several chairs around it, all of them empty. Across the table, a small staircase was visible and, above it, a throne made of bones and black fabric, on which someone was sitting.

«My master.» said the butler with a deep bow «I bring news from Mera. As you expected, the priestess Aika is recruiting mages to create a guild, probably in order to stop you and your plan.»

«Good job, Ircinus.» said a demonic voice while the figure on the throne seemed to be thinking at something «I'd say...three hundred lesser demons should suffice. Use the teleportation rituals. I do not want that my gift to Aika is ruined along the way.»

The butler bowed once again «As you wish, master Ruganax.»

' _Come on, my dear Aika. Let's see what you and your guild can really do against my new army._ '

A dark laughter echoed throughout the region reporting to all the demons that the war had begun.

* * *

 **Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that's it! End of the first chapter!**

 **I know I'm terribly late as I made you wait for several months but I had several problems, some of which are related to this fic, such as people who want to send OC but then they don't send them, etc...anyway, I hope this first chapter was to your liking! Let me know if your OC have been described well according to your ideas or if there are aspects to be changed!**

 **Small notice for the next chapter: the OC appeared in this chapter will NOT appear in the next because the second chapter will be done simultaneously with the first, but Aika will be shown dealing with the capital and with the OC inside of the town. In the third chapter we will see all the OC. Oh, and if by chance I have not responded to some messages about the OC, know that all your OC have been accepted.**

 **Last warning, if by chance you have any ideas for your love story, or the partner you want for your OC, let me know, I'll try to accommodate you if possible.**

 **OC presented:**

 **\- Beatrice Lawton (Creator: Malicious Hero)**

 **\- Remi Talion (Creator: HeartMadeOfIce)**

 **\- Karin Torishima (Creator: altajir95)**

 **\- Lato Farrona (Creator: onixdragon4)**

 **\- Lorenzo Cortez (Creator: ThePrinceOfLight)**

 **\- Daisy Pride (Creator: Captain Lassiter)**

 **See you around and have a good day!**


	3. Recruitment (II)

_**Recruitment (II)**_

Adam was incredulous. No, screw that. He was fucking upset! He was an elite soldier, trained by the best instructors of the kingdom. Despite having only twenty-five years he had managed to rise through the ranks to become the head of the personal guards of the king, carrying out important assignments. He only took orders from the king, who entrusted him with important missions of vital importance such as face an abnormal demon, eliminate possible rebels, protect a precious cargo. Despite all that the king had given him an as simple as trivial task.

' _Wake the priestess Aika and lead her to the king as soon as possible..._ ' thought Adam walking towards the room of Aika ' _I hope at least that she has not a heavy sleeper._ '

Stopping in front of the designated wooden door, he knocked three times and waited with the hands behind his back. After a few minutes, not getting any answer, he knocked again, but with more force.

«High priestess Aika, I'm Adam, the personal guard of king Valener. I was ordered to wake you and lead you to him as soon as possible." said Adam with a calm but loud voice and again, no answer.

Sighing in an annoyed way, the boy was about to knock again, but the door suddenly opened, showing Aika with messy hair and a pajamas with blue and red squares that was twice her size. At the feet were visible two pink fur slippers. After a loud yawn, the girl looked up and scratched her head listlessly.

«Coffee...»

«Uh?» was the smart reply of Adam.

«Bring me some coffee...I need it...» mumbled the girl before closing the door and waling back to her bed. Adam stood there watching the door for five minutes but eventually walked away to go get some coffee for Aika. Another exciting task, no doubt about it. After about fifteen minutes, the guard of the king returned with a steaming cup of coffee and knocked again at the door of Aika.

«High priestess Aika, I have the coffee that you have requested.» said Adam and, a second later, Aika opened the door, grabbing the cup before drinking all the coffee in one gulp. Under the astonished gaze of Adam, the Aika pajamas began to change shape, becoming a red kimono without shoulder pads and with huge sleeves that completely covered her hands, while her hair moved on their own and went on to form a long braid that fell on the girl's back. The most worrying change was that of her face that from 'zombie and desperation' passed to 'life and joy'.

«Ah now I feel much better!» said Aika with a wide smile «Tell to the king that I'll be with him in a few minutes, I must first send an object to a certain 'Grim Reaper'.»

«Grim reaper? Are you talking about the skeleton that wields a scythe?» asked Adam with wide eyes but the girl just chuckled at that idea.

«No, I'm talking about that mage who slaughtered the mercenaries out of the city.» explained Aika before closing the door, looking at a scroll on her desk «Well, time to get to work!»

After a deep breath, the priestess went to the window of the room and opened it, looking at the sky for a few seconds. Her hair began to move uncontrollably as her eyes became completely white. She remained in that state for almost a full minute but eventually her appearance was back to normal and a large smile formed on her face.

' _Rivianys uh?_ _Nice_ _choice, my good Grim Reaper._ ' thought Aika while sensing several magical sources in that city.

Closing the window, the girl sat on the ground cross-legged and put the scroll in front of her, before closing her eyes. Her mind seemed almost to leave her body and traveled for several kilometers until it reached a young man dressed all in black.

' _Hey there!_ '

' _What the...where are you? Show yourself!_ '

She giggled for a moment before calming down ' _Relax, I'm Aika, the girl who handed the letters to you. I'm talking telepathically with you thanks to one of my spells. I forgot to give you an object that could serve you to recruit wizards for my guild!'_

' _Not my problem. I won't go back to Zafirus just for a_ _n_ _item._ '

Aika smiled while, with a hand, she touched the scroll in front of her which faded like a mirage ' _Don't worry, it's already in front of you._ '

After a few seconds of silence, she heard him ask ' _A scroll...what can I do with a scroll?_ '

' _It's a magical scroll into which I poured my knowledge. Every time you meet a wizard, ask to him or her the name and in the scroll will appear some data about that person, such as their magic and certain aspects of their personality. It is always useful to know if a girl has a tendency to beat the men or not._ ' she explained laughing at the end.

' _I do not care about these things. If they know how to fight, I'll give them a letter. End of the matter, and now get out of my mind._ '

Aika pouted before asking ' _You're not funny, you know?_ _I'll leave you alone for now but could you at least tell me your name?_ '

' _Ask for it to your magical scroll._ '

' _I was hoping you'd tell me of your own free will, even if I know it already. Do you want me to call you by your name or_ _one of_ _your original nickname_ _s_ _?_ ' asked Aika with a mocking tone.

She could almost see the tick marks on his forehead.

' _Do you have a problem with my nickname_ _s_ _?_ _'_

' _Oh no no, but let's say that 'Grim Reaper' and 'Death' are quite anonymous_ _and old_ _. Can you agree with that?_ '

' _Get o_ _ut of my mind. Now._ _'_

' _Spoilsport...oh well, good luck with those letters!_ ' said Aika before closing their mental link. Stretching her legs, Aika walked therefore towards the throne room, she could not possibly make wait the king after all.

Greeting the various guards and servants in the palace, the high priestess finally arrived in front of the large doors of the throne room, where two armored soldiers bowed before opening them for her. After a brief nod, Aika entered the room and immediately noticed the king intent on talking with a boy with black messy hair who was one meter and seventy-three tall and had a fair complexion. From what she could see, the boy had a very sharp chin and his limbs seemed longer than normal.

The young man was wearing a white V-neck T-shirt with a green hood and several orange drawstrings over it, a pair of tan cargo shorts with a red V on each leg, black running shoes with the same V as the shorts, white fingerless gloves and a pair of goggles over his head that had a white frame with only a large green lens, much like the ones used for snowboarding or skiing.

«Thank you for coming as soon as possible, Fowler. I know you have much to do in this period of the year.» said the king with a smile which the boy returned with a smile and a little bow.

«No need, your majesty.» Fowler reassured him «My parents practically yelled at me to come immediately after receiving your message. So, what can I do to help you?»

«I can explain that to you, young man.» said Aika walking toward them and Fowler noticed how the king bowed to the newcomer.

«High priestess Aika, good morning to you.» Valener looked back at the boy «She's right Fowler. I summoned you since she asked me if I knew any mage worth noting.»

Fowler looked at Aika with his golden eyes that had slit pupils, then bowing toward the king «Thank you for your trust, your majesty.» before looking back at Aika «I assume that you need my magic, high priestess Aika?»

«Correct, but let's not talk here.» said Aika with a little smile «King Valener, where I can find those two?»

«They are waiting for you in the royal gardens. You can go to them even now, if you desire.» explained the king with another bow. Meanwhile, Fowler was watching the scene with a raised eyebrow. The king had already bowed twice and Fowler did not know of the existence of any high priestess, so that girl had to be a foreigner just arrived in town or something like that. But then why the king seemed almost to be her servant, if he was in fact the king?

«Very well. Follow me Fowler, it is time for you to meet your future...companions.» said Aika with a cryptic smile before leaving the room, followed closely by the black haired boy. Walking toward the gardens, Fowler noticed that all of the servants and the guards were bowing to Aika before continuing to perform their duties.

' _I've never seen her, yet all of them treat her with respect as if she was the queen herself. She must be a very important person but then why she asked for capable mages? Maybe she wants us to carry out a mission?_ ' thought Fowler while looking at her.

«Do you like history, Fowler?» asked Aika without looking back.

«History?» repeated the boy not fully understanding the question.

«Yes, do you like to read about things that happened in the past?»

«Well, I really like to read but I prefer real books than ancient scrolls or history books.» explained the boy seeing Aika nod her head.

«Then...do you know what happened two hundred years ago?»

«If I remember correctly, it began the last known war between humans and demons, where the demons had almost won but the sacrifice of the human military leader allowed the victory for the humans. Why?»

Aika chuckled before opening a door «Well, I wasn't the real leader but that's the idea.»

Fowler's eyes widened for a brief seconds «Come again...?»

«I'm the high priestess Aika, the one who fought against Ruganax two hundred years ago before sealing his body with my soul using a very powerful spell.» explained the girl looking at the various trees in the gardens.

The boy blinked a few times before asking «You are THAT Aika? Wait...why are you alive? No offense, I'm glad that you stopped that demon but then why are you still here if your soul was used to seal him? Shouldn't you be...well...dead or at least in a coma?»

«Smart boy.» she chuckled again «You'll get your answer soon. First, let's introduce ourselves to those two girls.» and pointed to two girls sitting on a bench under a large oak tree. The boy followed her gaze and stared in surprise at seeing who were the two girls, even if one of them was just a little girl, probably in her early teens.

The aforementioned child, who was calmly caressing a squirrel, had long wavy cream-blond hair that reached her waist, with the fringe that was kept just above her silver eyes. She also had three sets of bangs, with the first one going down to her upper-jaw, the second reaching her upper-neck while the third was chest-length, with the presence of a pink ribbon loosely tied around the right bang. Her slender figure was covered by a light blue dress with a white apron over it and short loose brown boots.

However, the attention of Fowler was completely drawn to the girl sitting next to the blonde, who was reading a book. Said girl, who stood approximately with the height of one meter and seventy, could only be described as beautiful thanks to her skin which was so white and smooth that gave her the aspect of a doll made with the finest of porcelain and, strange enough, the shining silver armor with red marks and a black cape did nothing to ruin the overall image of the girl. Resting on her lap, there was a helmet with a pair of horns pointed forward on a downward angle, similar to the ones of a demon. Without the helmet covering her head, Fowler could see her halo of finely textured gradient hair, which was red at the top down to gray and was braided in such a way that it resembled the tail of a dragon which reached her rear.

Out of the blue, the little girl turned toward Aika and Fowler and whispered something to the armored girl who closed the book and stood up, holding her helmet under the left arm. Her violet red eyes, which had slit pupils and were framed by two long clumps, met those of Aika who simply smiled at her while waving the right hand. Approaching the two, Fowler noticed that the blonde child, despite being next to the armored girl, was not looking up to meet his or that of Aika's eyes.

«Good morning, Seloria Vikna. It's a pleasure to meet you.» said Aika with the smile still on her face, completely ignoring the surprised, and intimidated, look of Fowler. Although he was not a soldier, the boy was familiar with the reputation of Seloria. In Zafirus everyone knew of her and her many titles, such as 'Judge Seloria' and 'Demon Valkyrur of the Northern Lands'. She was one of the strongest soldiers of the king and, according to rumors, the second most powerful sorceress under his command, surpassed only by the old court wizard who was no longer cut out for the action but could still assert himself. However, she did not like being popular or be praised, which led her to not be a lover of her 'fans' who congratulated with her all the time.

«High priestess Aika.» Seloria bowed with the little girl «It's my own pleasure. Although I was not made aware of the situation regarding your return, I read many books about you and I'm honored to be in front of someone like you.»

«My my, it's been a while since a high rank soldier talked to me in that way.» chuckled Aika before turning her gaze on the little girl «You are...Mary, am I correct?»

«Y-yes, that's my n-name.» said the child while looking at the ground «It's an honor t-to meet you, high priestess Aika.»

Aika smiled at her before looking back at Seloria «Can all of you do me a favor? Drop the 'high priestess' thing, it makes me feel old!»

Seloria raised and eyebrow, slightly surprised by that request «But then...how should we call you?»

«Just call me Aika. I'm fine with it and it's not a lack of respect toward me so don't worry about it.» explained the silver haired girl before pointing at the bench where Seloria and Mary where sitting before her arrival «Please, sit down. It will take a while.» she looked back at the boy «The same goes for you, Fowler.»

The three mages did as requested with Seloria at the center, Fowler to her left and Mary to her right.

After a deep breath, Aika began to speak «As you already know, I am the high priestess Aika, the one who has fought two hundred years ago against the demons led by Ruganax. After a year of battles, we managed to strike a decisive blow against his main stronghold, in the heart of their realm. It was a bloody battle that lasted several hours and which cost the lives of over two hundred thousand humans, but eventually I managed to get to Ruganax and, after a heated clash, I used a special magic to seal him. His body was trapped in a prison of white crystal created from my soul and I died at that time but, because of the spell, my body has never deteriorated. That magic also had some sort of side effect and that is that my soul would return to me if someone had released Ruganax, which eventually happened.» she noticed the worried looks of the three mages and nodded «Yes, Ruganax is back and most likely he is already gathering his army. From what I discovered, there were no other major wars so the demons will be happy to answer the call, reducing the time we have to prepare ourselves. During the last war, all guilds of Mera have helped me to deal with Ruganax but now they do not exist anymore.»

In that moment, Seloria began to put the pieces together in her mind «So that's why you're talking with us. You want to create a new guild to face Ruganax and his army.»

«Correct but it won't be only us against the demons. King Valener is already sending messengers to all the cities to warn his generals. There probably will not be many mages like the last time, but that does not mean that I will allow Ruganax to invade Mera and destroy the human race. I have sworn to defend my home two hundred years ago, and I intend to keep my word, but I'm not stupid and I know I can not do it alone and that's why I need your help. So, will you help me?» she finally asked looking at each one of them in the eyes.

«I'm in.» said Fowler with a smile.

Aika looked at him with a surprised expression but also a wide smile «That's it? Just like that?»

«I like to help people, no matter how or why. I've always been like that and I do not intend to change now. Of course, facing an army of demons will be dangerous for sure and my parents will have a heart attack when they will know, but that will not stop me from helping as many people as possible.» explained Fowler «Also, being a guild we can carry out different missions and earn some money so I can help other people with the extra money!»

«You really are a gentle soul Fowler.» said Aika nodding.

«Besides, Naruto has faced a war despite being only fifteen years old and came out as the winner after fighting against a goddess!» added Fowler with a grin.

Aika looked at him with a deadpanned face «Well...you're right...I guess?»

«Who is Naruto?» whispered Mary and Seloria said «I'll explain later...»

«Anyway, by chance, do you know any talented mage who lives here in town?» asked Aika facing the boy who stared at the sky while thinking about his next answer.

«Well...I know two mages but one is too old to fight so I would say that I have only a hypothetical candidate. In a certain sense he is my rival, although he is much more competitive than me.» chuckled Fowler «His name is Nero Weiss and I think that he'll join us for sure.»

«That's good to hear. Would you mind to go to him and explain the situation? If he accepts, tell him to go to the palace. I have already asked the king to prepare some rooms for those who want to join us. In five days, the guild will be officially created.» said Aika and the boy nodded.

«Sure, no problem.» Fowler then walked toward the edge of the gardens which were on the roof of one wing of the building. Within seconds his body was surrounded by a strong wind which swayed the branches of the nearby trees «Turbo!» and with that, he vanished into thin air, creating a strong gust of wind.

«Ah Windrunner magic, a speed enchantment magic.» noted Aika with a smile.

«Do you know that magic?» asked Seloria walking toward Aika with Mary beside her.

«Yes, I used a spell that lets me know everything that has happened in two hundred years when I was not alive. I transferred my knowledge in a scroll that I handed over to a...acquaintance of mine. Right now he's delivering some letters to other mages that can help us.» explained Aika.

«Everything that h-has happened in t-two hundred years...?» repeated Mary with a bit of fear in her voice.

«Yes, but this spell works only whit those who, in the future, will cross my path and that's mean that I know pretty much everything about you, my dear half-demon.» said Aika with a calm voice while both Seloria and Mary tensed at her words but the priestess raised a hand «Do not worry, I don't want to harm you. Two hundred years ago there were a lot of demons and half-demons fighting at my side so I know that not every demon is evil, some of them have a kind hearth just like you two and Fowler.»

«You won't sold her out, right?» asked Seloria with an edge in her voice but Aika was unfazed by it.

«Of course not, she is not evil so I don't see a reason for betray her, besides even the king knows about her but, just like me, he can see the difference between evil and good, no matter if she a human or a half-demon.» said Aika with a serious look and, after a long glare, Seloria relaxed her muscles, sighing in relief.

«I'm sorry if I thought such a thing about you. It's just that a lot of people hates the mages like us but they hate even more the demons so...»

Aika smiled at her «Do not worry, I can understand. I just hope that the guild will understand as well. For now, let's change subject, shall we?» seeing them nod, Aika asked «Just like with Fowler, do you know any mage who would fight with us? Before you speak Seloria, I know that you're affiliated with many secret mages and you don't want to put them in danger, so I won't ask for them. I don't want to force anyone to fight with us.»

«Thank you, it means a lot to me.» said Seloria with a bow «Unfortunately, apart from those mages, I do not know anyone who could help us.»

«I see, and you Mary? Do you know anyone?»

«T-there's a cake shop near the flower shop where I work. The owner is a young boy and I know he is a mage, but I've never seen h-him fight so I do not know what is his m-magic.» explained Mary looking toward Zafirus.

«Ah, Ren and Ito Distri. I know them, or better to say, him.» said Seloria.

Aika closed for a few seconds her eyes, searching for information in her mind regarding those Ren and Ito Distri. Reopening the eyes, she showed a little smile «Two minds one body uh? Interesting. Well, it is still early so how about a slice of cake?» and, without waiting for an answer, she began to walk towards the exit from the gardens, followed by Mary and Seloria.

§ § § § §

Fowler knocked once again to the wooden door in front of him and, once again, no one deigned to open it. For the past ten minutes he was looking for Nero and had not yet found him. He had searched for him in places where Nero was going normally and was now in front of his house but apparently there was no one inside.

«Where the hell is he?» murmured the black haired boy knocking another time.

«Fowler?» asked a male voice behind him «What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your parents right now?»

Fowler sighed with a little smile before turning around and facing a boy slightly lower than him with long white-silver hair, deep purple eyes and a pale complexion. His athletic build was covered with a long black coat, a purple vest, a pair of dark-purple jeans and black shoes, while his right hand was completely bandaged with a white cloth.

«I was searching for you Nero, but now I understand why I couldn't find you.» Fowler said looking at the pudding in the left hand of his friend with a plastic bag full of puddings hanging on the wrist.

«The puddings in the fridge so Nero went to buy some!» said the boy speaking in third person much to the surprise of the people near them, since some of them knew that he was Nero but they never heard him speaking in that weird way.

Fowler shook his head «I should have known. I didn't check the market and the food shops.» his eyes suddenly became more serious «I've been trying to talk to you about a very important issue concerning the safety of this city and some demons.»

Nero narrowed his eyes showing a subtle grin «Nero is very interested now.»

After entering the house, Fowler explained to his friend everything he knew, without forgetting anything and Nero, after three more puddings needed to digest all that information, stared at him in silence.

«Ancient demons, a priestess who has returned to life, an imminent war...is a somewhat absurd story to accept, you know?» asked Nero and Fowler nodded with a little grin «I know, but when you'll meet Aika, she will give you additional proofs. So, are you in?»

«Heel yeah, it's time to show to those demons where they should stay and who else but me could make them understand?» said Nero with a grin on his face while speaking in first person since he wasn't eating pudding at the moment.

«Perfect! In that case, let's go find Aika to give her the good news. She told me to take you to the palace but I'm sure she'll be glad to meet you first.» said his friend and rival before leaving the house with Nero. They had a priestess to find.

§ § § § §

«So this is their pie shop?» asked Aika while looking at the spiral made of water and wind painted above the door with the words "Double Sweetness" written on the left and the right of the spiral. Quiet the name for a cake shop.

«Y-yes, this is the place. S-should we enter?» said Mary while Aika was already inside the shop, more precisely in front of the counter while ordering a slice of chocolate and coconut cake.

' _That was fast._ ' thought Seloria before entering with Mary, sitting at table while waiting for Aika. Looking in the direction of their future master, Seloria noticed that the person who was talking to Aika was the very guy who they were looking for, Ito Distri. His spiked up messy white hair and the bright orange eyes were somewhat particular, especially if highlighted by his lightly tanned skin.

The slim build with a slightly muscular structure was also visible with the white shirt and black waistcoat paired with dark pants and a bow tie around his neck. Probably his work uniform.

From what she could see, he looked like a very nice and sociable guy since he was talking with Aika and she was enjoying the talk, before leaving him to other customers.

«He's a very nice guy.» said Aika placing her cake on the table «From what I could understand by observing his body, he is possessing the body of his brother while Ren is resting in their shared mind. I also noticed something very interesting.»

Seeing their confused looks, Aika pointed with her spoon a person seated on the other side of the shop, intent on eating a slice of vanilla cake.

Said person was a young girl with whitish-blonde hair that reached the upper half oh her back and was perfectly matched with her silky white colored skin, while her skinny body was covered by a white long sleeved shirt with blue ends, a white skirt, a pair of blue shoes and a blue scarf. The keen look of Seloria also noted the particular color of her eyes, since the right was white while the left one was blue.

«She's a very talented sorceress and, just like you...» Aika pointed Seloria «She's quiet a prodigy with the bow.»

Looking back at the blonde, both Mary and Seloria noticed a white wooden bow leaning against the chair she was sitting on, but there was no quiver.

' _So she can create arrows with her magic just like me._ ' Seloria thought before asking «Are you going to recruit her too?»

«Yes. I wasn't expecting another mage in this place but as the proverb says "Don't look in the mouth of a gift horse", so I'll simply ask her to join the guild.» explained Aika with a smile «Besides, she has a lot of magic energy inside of her and that's without counting what is inside of her.»

Seloria raised an eyebrow «Something is possessing her?»

«Not exactly. It's more like Ren and Ito. The entity inside of her can possess her body but I haven't felt any evil feelings coming from that entity and her mind is not broken so she and her tenant are not a threat.» explained Aika and Seloria nodded.

«H-how are you going t-to ask her to join the guild?» asked Mary while looking at the girl who had almost eaten all of her piece of cake.

«Well that's simple, I'll...» Aika started but, in that moment, someone entered the shop, jingling the bell positioned above the door. Aika and the other turned toward the door and the priestess nearly choked on her cake in perceiving the magical power coming from the guy who just walked in.

Another mage.

The newcomer was a pretty ordinary guy, without any distinguishing marks except perhaps the greatsword on his back, which was still a simple greatsword. He was quite tall and lithe, with simple short black hair and brown eyes, and was wearing a black trench coat with a blue T-shirt and a pair of gray pants matched with black shoes.

Not noticing anything strange, Seloria looked back at Aika and assumed a slightly worried at seeing the priestess with several little golden stars around the eyes.

' _JACKPOT!_ ' was the only thought in the mind of Aika at that moment and, after a few seconds, she came to herself and turned to her future guildmates «He's also a mage.»

«Really? I don't fell any kind of magic power from him.» said Seloria looking at the black haired boy who was ordering a 'Specialty of the Day' cake.

«That's because his magic is not like yours.» said Aika with a little smile «You see, in terms of pure magic power, he's probably weakest in this place but that's due to the type of his magic which is not suited for frontal combat like the others. A lot of magics require a large amount of magic power, such as a Lost Magic but there are some magics which can be used with a smaller amount of energy, such as...illusions.» and she glared at the boy, indicating that that was his magic «So you have to be particularly adept as a sensor mage in order to perceive that level of magical power. Probably if you concentrate on him, you can feel his power.»

Doing as required, she concentrated and was able to feel the magical power coming from the guy and, as said by Aika, his quantity was much lower than her own or that of Mary. Looking back at Aika, she asked «How are going to proceed now?»

«Simple, I'll use one of my magics to create a sort of test for them. I'll need it to evaluate them in some way, but if something were to happen, do not hesitate to intervene.» explained Aika and both Mary and Seloria nodded. Looking around to make sure nobody was watching her, Aika created some small stubby dolls made of wood in her right hand and threw them out of an open window.

After a few seconds, the shop door opened again and a group of men came in looking around with grins on their faces. All of them were wearing mixed armors with leather parts and other made of metal, while the alleged leader, who was over two meters tall, had the face completely covered with bandages except for the mouth and the right eye.

Seloria glanced quickly at Aika and the priestess nodded slowly, letting her know that those men were the diversion created by Aika herself. The girl in armor put her hand on that of Mary in order to reassure her without saying anything, so as not to "spoil" the surprise.

What happened a few seconds later was precisely a surprise, especially for Aika.

All the men were practically ordering Ito and the various clients to move out because now the shop belonged to them. Much to Aika's delight, the three mages that she planned to bring in her guild were accumulating magical power within themselves to deal with the thugs but, in a matter of seconds, all men were thrown in the air with some of their limbs bent in an irregular manner or with large fist-shaped signs visible in their armor. None of them had time to scream and collapsed to the ground around Fowler and Nero who had just appeared out of nowhere, accompanied by a strong gust of wind that forced many of those present to cover their eyes.

«It seems that some people do not know good manners.» said Fowler glaring at the now unconscious thugs before turning his look at Ito «Are you alright?»

«Yes and so is my shop, and I've to thank you two for having saved me the trouble of dealing with these idiots!» said Ito with a smile.

«It was a pleasure for me. What do you say Nero?» Fowler asked to his friend who was looking at a poster where were indicated the various cake.

«Mh...do you have a pudding cake?»

Ito was about to answer, but a sudden wave of killing intent prevented him from talking, putting at attention all the people present.

For some reason, Fowler realized that the killing intent was aimed at him and so he turned slowly and was about to jump in fear at seeing Aika walking towards him with a candid smile but also a completely black aura around her and the mask of a demon levitate above her head.

Before the black haired boy could ask her anything, the priestess made a little jump and grabbed his face with her right hand, forcing him to kneel due to the difference in height, and then begin to slowly tighten the grip.

«My dear Fowler, what have I told you when I sent you to search for your friend Nero?» asked Aika with an angelic voice that did not reflect the dark aura.

«T-To tell him to go to t-the palace!» answered Fowler who was having some difficulty speaking and breathing due to the hand of Aika. Her strength was inhuman!

«And yet here you are, both intent on ruining my test for your possible guildmates.» continued Aika with that scary smile of her «Since has not happened nothing too serious, I will not punish you severely, but when we return to the palace you will pass a bad time, okay?»

Fowler nodded, or at least he tried to nod due to the grip, but Aika noticed this and let him go before looking at the others «You three!» she pointed at Ito, the girl with the bow and the boy with the greatsword «You are coming with me at the royal palace and you can not say no.»

In the silence that followed her words, Aika could distinctly hear a slight creaking near the entrance of the shop and turning in that direction, she saw that the door had been uprooted from its hinges scattering of splinters on the floor. The faint sound had been produced by a small girl with pale skin who had just come in, stomping the shards with her black shoes. Aika's eyes watched the blue ones of the newcomer and, thanks to her experience with magic, she could sense the magical power inside the girl. Talk about luck.

«The same goes for you! You need to come to the palace!» said Aika pointing her finger at the girl who had dark green hair which reached a little past her shoulders with long bangs stopping above the eyes. Her tiny body was covered by a plain whit top, a pair of jean-shorts reaching a bit above halfway her thighs and a plain gray open jacket with a hood, with the addiction of a necklace, with a feather pendant, around her neck.

Said girl watched Aika for a few seconds before taking a step back with a goofy smile on her face «I'd like to but...I've some...things to do. Bye!» and with that she ran away.

Aika sighed heavily «Kids today...always ready to jump to conclusions.» she turned to Seloria, who was still lazily sitting at the table «Could you bring her to the palace? I'll met you there.»

Seloria looked at the exit door and nodded before getting up and running out of the store, in pursuit of the green haired girl.

«Ok, now that this small matter is resolved...let's get back to us.» said Aika turning toward the three mages who were still looking at her with a mix of confusion and curiosity «As I said, you need to come with me to the palace where I'll explain everything that you need to know. This boy over here...» she looked at Fowler «...already knows what I'm talking about and accepted the offer that I offered to him.»

«What kind of offer?» asked Ito while writing a personal note in order to replace the shop door.

«The kind of offer where everyone wins. Of course, if you accept my offer there will be risks for all of you, but this is normal, however you are free to decline it and return to your life without any problem.» explained Aika with a smile looking at Ito.

«Well if you put it like that...» said Ito before thinking ' _What do you say Ren?_ '

' _Aside from her complete lack of tact? I would say it might be interesting to hear her offer, so we can always refuse._ ' said a male voice in his head. Ito nodded while, unknowingly to him, a similar conversation was taking place in the head of the girl with the bow.

' _So this Aika is blessed by a God?_ ' asked the girl looking at Aika with a curios look.

' _ **Not only one from what I can tell, besides I think that she knows about me or at least she can tell that there's something inside of you.**_ ' answered a deep male voice in her head.

' _That's mean that she's very expert with the magic. What do you think Avalon? Should we go with her?_ '

' _ **I do not sense any negative emotion coming from this girl so you're free to do as you wish.**_ ' said Avalon before cutting their mental link.

Meanwhile, Aika had turned toward the last remaining of the trio «So, what do you say Mr...?»

The boy with the greatsword showed a little smile and, after a bow, said «Lewis. Adrian Lewis, I'm a simple traveler and I'll hear your offer since I have nothing to do at the moment.»

«That's good to hear! What a bout you two?»

«Me and my brother have decided to hear your offer.» said Ito with a smile earning a raised eyebrow from Adrian who had not seen anyone besides the white haired boy. Noticing the puzzled look of Adrian, Ito smiled and said «Don't worry, you'll meet him very soon.»

«I'm sure it will be a very...particular meeting.» remarked Aika with a chuckle before turning toward the only girl of the trio of possible guildmates «You decision?»

«I'm in. My name is Lillian Sollicitus Beneficium but you can call me Lily.» said the new named Lillian with a smile who Aika returned with pleasure.

«Well that's all what I need to hear! Let's go to the palace, it'll be a long story.» said the priestess before walking out of the shop.

«I'll be join you soon. I need to close the shop and replace the door.» said Ito looking at Nero and Fowler who looked away mumbling a "Sorry..." but the white haired boy wasn't mad with them and waved a hand to calm them down «Don't worry, it won't take too much time or money. I'll see you later at the palace.»

Aika nodded to him and walked toward the royal palace with the others but Mary stopped after a couple of steps.

«I s-should return to the flower shop. I need to warn the m-manager...» said the little girl and Aika nodded with a smile.

«No problem Mary, take your time. If I'll see Seloria before you, I'll tell her that you went there.»

Bowing to them, the girl turned and ran down the road without noticing the eyes of Lillian, whose eyes had become incredibly cold. After a few seconds, they returned back to normal and the girl resumed walking behind Aika.

' _ **That Mary...she's a demon.**_ ' said Avalon with an edge in his voice.

' _Are you sure?_ ' asked Lillian who had to keep herself from stopping in the middle of the road to not draw attention.

' _ **Yes, I took control of your body just to be sure and I can tell that she has demon blood in her veins.**_ '

' _Is she dangerous?_ '

' _ **No, not in her actual form. She's just a child. Even the angels are weak when they are young and demons aren't different.**_ ' explained the entity inside of her ' _ **That Nero, no his right arm, is not what it seems. He may be a human but that arm is not normal.**_ '

' _Well...Aika seems quite smart and she's trusting them. Maybe they are not evil._ ' hypothesized Lillian looking at the back of the priestess.

' _ **I'll not trust her since she's blessed by the Gods. Just be careful with them.**_ '

' _Well, you're with me so I don't see the problem._ ' remarked the girl with a smile and Avalon just grumble something before cutting again the mental link. She mentally giggled before focusing on the road. Things were getting interesting.

§ § § § §

«Stop following me!» shouted a green haired girl running at full speed with an armored girl behind her.

«You just need to come to the palace!» retorted Seloria while mentally cursing her armor since it was slowing her down.

«I have not done anything wrong!» the girl was a little scared because she was thinking at the possibility of being dragged in the prisons of the royal palace but she had done nothing to deserve it!

«Then why are you running?» asked/shouted Seloria while dodging some kids who were playing.

«Because you're following me!»

«You just need to come to the palace! It's important!»

The girl looked behind here while still running «What is important?!»

«It's a secret! You need to come with me! The high priestess Aika will explain everything!»

After a few seconds, the green haired girl stopped, turning completely to Seloria «Are you sure that it's really important?»

«Yes, trust me.»

«Okay.»

Seloria blinked and then blinked again «...okay? Just like that?»

«Yeah, you said that it's really important so it can not be a lie!» said the girl with a wide smile.

' _Well at least I not have to chase her again._ ' thought Seloria with a little smile behind her helmet «The let's go to the palace, Aika need to explain a few things. Oh I almost forgot, my name is Seloria Vikna.»

«Rayna, nice to meet you.» said the girl with a smile before hearing the cry of a child. Looking in that direction, they saw a little child crying while pointing at a balloon that was flying towards the sky. Without even thinking, Rayna ran to him and jumped up, whispering «Take Over: Dragonfly Soul!» and, much to Seloria surprise, Rayna's legs turned into a long black 'tail' while from her back sprouted four wings equal to those of a dragonfly. The now transformed Rayna began to fly toward the balloon to then grab it and finally return to the ground where she returned to her human form few moments before landing. Holding the balloon in one hand, she gave it to the child who thanked her timidly, but suddenly his mother came running and picked him up, taking him away from the young girl who looked at the scene with sad eyes.

Not far from her, Seloria watched the scene with a confused look and walked toward Rayna, but after a few steps she heard some murmurs from the citizens who had witnessed the scene.

«Did you see that?»

«Yeah, she turned into a freaking bug. Disgusting.»

«Well, she's one of those mages. Maybe she can transform into a spider and eat the kids!»

«Urgh that's horrible. The guards should do something to stop he-EERRRRGH!» the man who was talking found Seloria's hand tightened around his throat and the girl lifted him up from the ground without difficulty before slamming him against the wall of a house.

«Be quiet. I will not accept such talk in my presence. If I still hear something like that, I'll arrest all of you on the spot, and then lock yourself in the prisons of the castle and throw away the key. Is that clear?» asked/threatened Seloria releasing her killing intent, freezing all the people with fear clearly visible on their face. The man nodded quickly and she throw him against one of his friend before walking toward Rayna «Are you okay?»

«Yes, it's just...been a while since the last time.» mumbled Rayna while looking at the ground.

Seloria frowned since she knew that many mages were hated by the population partly because of their special magics, and talking about special magic...

«Your magic it's quite interesting.» said the armored girl perking the interest of Rayna who looked at her with wide eyes.

«Do you really think so? Don't you find it creepy or...boring?»

«Why? A Take Over magic is very rare these days and you used it in a good way, besides just because you can be half-insect it doesn't mean that it's creepy.» explained Seloria with a smile behind her helmet at seeing Rayna with a new smile on her face.

«Thank you! It's the first time that someone has praised my magic!»

«And I know that it won't be the last. Now it's better to reach to the palace.» said Seloria before walking toward the huge building where Aika was waiting for them.

§ § § § §

Mary let out a sigh of relief coming out from the office of the manager in the flower shop. She had just explained to him that, in the coming days, if not months or years, she would have less time for work and therefore they had to look for another employee to make things easier. Thankfully the manager had agreed, sensing that this was a serious situation.

Looking at the clock hanging on the wall, she noticed that it was almost time for lunch, so she decided to put in place some flowers before closing for a few hours. In that moment, the shop door opened and, observing the customer just entered, Mary could not help but feel a chill down her spine.

Walking toward her was a beautiful girl with light purple and delicate hair long up to the knees with a little fringe on her forehead. Her amber yellow eyes were very intense and big but also cold as her expression who matched her fair complexion and slender figure. As a lady of the court, she wore a stylish white dress adorned with purple floral embroidery paired with a pair of leather black boots.

«Good morning.» said the customer with an emotionless voice «I would like to buy a bouquet of black roses.»

«A-ah...y-yes. I'll prepare i-it right away.» said Mary while feeling a strange sensation being close to that girl. Trying to concentrate on her work, Mary was able to compose the bouquet and brought it to the customer.

«The p-prince i-is fifty j-jewels...» stammered the little girl while trying to not look in the eyes of the purple haired girl. Until she felt the girl's hand on her cheek, tensing instantly.

The physical contact lasted only a few seconds but Mary felt something 'touching' her mind before vanishing into nothingness.

«No matter who or what you are. If you stutter in that way you'll look weak.» said the girl with a cold voice before paying and leaving the shop with a stunned Mary inside.

«What did she mean by...those...words...?» asked Mary widening her eyes for the surprise. She had not stuttered! And it had never happened before, except when she was alone with Seloria. Looking at the door of the shop, she ran toward it in order to stop the girl but, when she went out, the mysterious girl was gone.

' _I need to talk to Seloria!_ ' Mary thought before running toward the palace of the king.

Not too far away, meanwhile, the mysterious girl was walking towards the city cemetery regardless of her surroundings. The midday sun was covered by some clouds at the time of her arrival at the cemetery and she walked for a few minutes until she stopped in front of a tombstone where there was the photo of a little girl with the name "Nadien Brydrasik" over it.

After a few minutes spent observing the grave, the girl placed the flowers in front of it, then she noticed someone by her side, a girl with silver hair and green eyes.

«Little sister?» asked the silver haired girl looking at the tombstone but the other girl didn't say anything while looking at her with cold eyes.

«Who are you?»

«You can call me Aika.» said the priestess with a smile «I'm here for a certain reason, a reason linked to your parents to be precise.»

The purple haired girl narrowed her eyes «Be careful to what you say. They are...»

«Currently in one of the last dark guilds, I know.» said Aika with a little smile «And you want to save them and kill your uncle, or at least that's the general idea but you know that, right now, you can't face all of them, not with your power alone and that's why I'm here. Years ago, the dark guilds were strong but they had strong opponents, the regular guilds or guilds of the light.»

«So? Everyone knows.» hissed the girl with her patience at the end.

«I'm going to create a new guild.» said Aika surprising her although she did not let it show on her face «The reason for my decision is a secret for now but if you want to know about your parents or the dark guild...well...feel free to come to me and the others at the royal palace. In five days the guild will officially born.»

«That sounds like blackmail.» said the purple haired girl still with no emotion visible on her face.

«Is it? To me it seems like an offer for you and your goal.» countered Aika with a bigger smile «I know that you want to save them, Dyvern. If you'll join us, it will be much easier to help them.»

The now named Dyvern remained silent before walking away. When she was several meters away, she turned her head to the side «I'll think about it.» and disappeared in the crow.

Aika smiled at her words before looking up at the sun which was shining with all its warmth and then faded away like a mirage.

§ § § § §

In a large hall of the castle, Aika smiled to herself in perceiving what had happened with the 'clone' created by her and Dyvern. A future guildmate, without any doubt.

Looking around, she saw the others intent to relax while waiting for Seloria and Rayna, so that she could explain to everyone what was her offer.

' _They should be here soon. I will_ _use this time to_ _call my dear Grim Reaper._ ' Aika thought with a chuckle before walking toward the door.

«Where are you going?» asked Nero while giving a side look at his friend Fowler who was kneeling on a carpet of chickpeas as punishment.

«Just need to call a friend of mine, it won't take too much time.» explained Aika before returning to her room where she sat on the floor and closed her eyes. Just like that morning, she concentrated to locate the mind of the 'Grim Reaper' but before that she spotted the magical power in the letters created by her and smiled to perceive six open letters and still entire. After a couple of seconds, her mind left the body and traveled to that of the 'Grim Reaper'.

' _Good afternoon!_ ' exclaimed Aika making him wince on the spot.

' _Aika. What do you want now?_ '

' _What. Can't I have a little chat with a friend?_ ' she asked while mentally pouting.

' _I'm not a friends of yours so no, you can't have a little chat with me. Now tell me what do you want or leave my mind._ '

' _Cheerful and sociable as ever._ ' said Aika in a mocking tone ' _All right, let's talk business. I saw that you already found six possible candidates for the guild, but it seems to me that one of them is still near to you._ '

' _I know._ _She will probably be the last to arrive because, due to certain circumstances, she wants to fight me but I have no time to lose so I'll take her directly to Zafirus and I expect an extra reward for this nuisance._ ' explained the 'Grim Reaper' while cursing his luck.

Aika chuckled at his misfortune and said ' _I don't see any problem with that. You have still four days and half so take your time. I've already recruited someone here in Zafirus._ '

' _Good. Now get out of my head, I need to work._ '

' _Okay, in that case I wish you good luck and try not to kill any possible candidate!_ ' said the future master before cutting the mental link hearing him saying ' _Can't promise that._ '

Returning to her body, Aika chuckled again while shaking her head «Oh well, I've tried. Now let's return to the others, it's time for a little story!» and with that she went in another room where her future guildmates were waiting for her.

§ § § § §

«Hey can I know where are we going?»

The 'Grim Reaper' turned his look on the right, glaring at Daisy who was walking besides him.

«My destination is the city of Nubilias.» said the boy with a cold voice.

«Why? That place is one of the worst in all Mera! It's full of assassins, thieves and traitors!» exclaimed Daisy even if she was quite intrigued by the city. She could always find someone strong to fight.

«I need to kill someone in that city.» said the 'Grim Reaper'.

«Why?»

«It's my job and I have a reputation to uphold so go away.»

«Not until you fight me.» remarked Daisy with a grin while hearing the curse under his mask.

«I'll not protect you so don't ask for help when we'll enter the city.» hissed the swordsman «And do as I say when I'm talking to and old acquaintance.»

«Another killer like you?»

«No, his name is Vladimir Diaz and he's a necromancer. I need his help for this job.» explained him, hoping to silence her with that response. Unfortunately it was not enough for her.

«This target must be quite strong if you need someone else to fight him...why don't you ask me for help?» asked Daisy.

«Because you're just a child.»

«I'm seventeen!»

«Exactly. A child.» remarked the swordsman while her right hand was turning into a hammer made of clay but after a deep breath she turned the back to normal.

' _Not now Daisy, you need to fight him in a fair fight!_ ' she said to herself before looking at him again «Who is your target by the way?»

«The Purple Reaper.»

.

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«When God created you guys, he forgot to give you the fantasy for nicknames and alias?»

«Shut up.»

* * *

 **Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that's it! End of the second chapter!**

 **Even this chapter has arrived later than I had expected but at least it has arrived! As always let me know if your OC have been described well according to your ideas or if there are aspects to be changed!**

 **I know that some OC were shown less than others but do not worry, all of them will have their rightful place. As happened in the previous chapter, in the third chapter will appear different OC excluded some, such as the 'Grim Reaper' and Daisy, while in the fourth there will be all, from first to last.**

 **With this chapter the inscriptions for the story are closed (for now) because otherwise it would go on forever with the initial recruitment but probably I'll ask some evil OC in the future (maybe).**

 **Last warning, if by chance you have any ideas for your love story, or the partner you want for your OC, let me know, I'll try to accommodate you if possible.**

 **OC presented:**

 **\- Nero Weiss (Creator: Sarius909)**

 **\- Adrian Lewis (Creator: Spaladin)**

 **\- Ren/Ito Distri (Creator: DimensionBlade 1.2)**

 **\- Rayna (Creator: WendyDokuro)**

 **\- Lillian Sollicitus Beneficium (Creator: UnstoppableBerserker)**

 **\- Seloria Vikna (Creator: Lethargic Lurker Taki Tan)**

 **\- Mary (Creator: Lethargic Lurker Taki Tan)**

 **\- Fowler Brooks (Creator: Deadly101)**

 **\- Dyvern Brydrasik (Creator: FairyLumberjack)**

 **That's all for now! Oh I almost forgot:**

 **WARNING: I'LL NOT START TO WRITE THE NEW CHAPTER ANYTIME SOON. I'VE OTHER FIC SO I NEED TO WRITE SOME CHAPTERS FOR THOSE FIC TOO AND I HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO WHILE I DON'T HAVE A REGULAR SCHEDULE.**

 **Have a good day/night (magic of the time zone)!**


	4. Recruitment (III)

_**Recruitment (III)**_

A slight breeze blew in the early morning. The fronds of the trees surrounding the fields around Zafirus swelled slowly as the light wind carried leaves, sounds and perfumes. A sudden gust of wind swung the light brown hair of a girl, who had them tied in a ponytail which reached her mid-back, as well as the silver pendant around her neck that stood out thanks to her light tanned skin.

Despite being a girl she was incredibly high, exceeding six feet high, and her slim body was covered by a pair of black pants matched to a blue shirt, black and silver shoes and a black trench coat jacket kept open while on her back was visible a simple sword with black sheath and hilt.

Walking slowly, the girl slowed down to stop and look at the walls of Zafirus in the distance, though the real reason she had stopped was because she had heard several noises coming from the trees and bushes just ahead of her. She narrowed her crystal blue eyes but after a few seconds, a small smile formed on her lips and she started to walk again toward the city.

Just when she was near the edge of the forest, a childish voice yelled «ATTACK!» and two kids jumped from the trees while a third kid and a little girl ran from the bushes, all of them with a wooden stick in their hands.

Without losing the smile she raised both her hands, which were covered by a pair of black fingerless gloves with a metal plate on the back, and created two small tornadoes to intercept her 'assailants' who ended up straight in her spell and, thanks to the weak wind generated by said spell, they began to levitate in mid-air without control.

«Not again!» complained a kid with a bandana on his head while trying to escape from the spell.

Shaking her head, the girl slowly dissolved the spell, allowing the kids to go back to the ground and then looked at them one by one «You were too loud. I could hear you even with these.» and she pointed at the silver headphones around her neck.

«Mh...well next time we'll take you by surprise so you'll teach us your magic!» shouted the bandana-kid with a sharp nod.

The girl shook her head again «I don't get why I can't simply teach you without this test. You can simply ask if you want.»

«No, I can't do that! I'm a man and I have to earn things!» replied the boy crossing his arms over the chest just like his two friends.

«What about your sister?» the girl asked looking at the only female of the group.

«She's a man too.» nodded the three kids at the same time earning a punch in the head from the little girl who was now glaring at them before shifting her eyes toward the older girl.

«Can't you take me with you...? I can't go on with my stupid brother!»

After a small chuckle, the brown haired girl put a hand over the little girl's head «I'm sorry Iwari, but my trips are not holidays and I do not want something to happen to you.»

«Okay...» the little girl pouted for a moment before asking «Say, are you here to join the new guild?»

The older girl raised an eyebrow. New guild? Now that was interesting.

«I didn't know there was a new guild. It's the first after fifty years...what happened?»

«A young girl named Aika is gathering mages from all over Mera! My mom said that she's important and that she's living in the royal castle with the king! I've already met one of the future mages, a boy named Adrian Lewis, and his sword his bigger than yours!» explained the little girl «My mom also said that the guild will be officially created in three days.»

«I see, thanks for telling me. The king summoned me without explaining the reason and now I think I have an idea about it.» said the girl looking at the city before smiling at the four kids «Maybe I will stay in town for some time so you can try to surprise me.» and the kids nodded before running in the forest waving a goodbye at the girl who waved back.

Thirty minutes later, the girl was walking down the streets of Zafirus, watching shop windows occasionally, until her gaze fell on a cake shop called "Double Sweetness". With a smile on her lips, she decided to go in and greet a couple of old friends.

Barely noticing the shop's new door, she rang the bell above the door and a moment later, a male voice said «Well well well, if it isn't one of our favorite customers, Emily Knight! Nice to see you again after so long!»

«Ito.» she greeted with a nod «It's good to see you too, how are you?»

«I can not complain and Ren can say the same.» Ito said with a small grin «Let me guess, a chocolate cake?»

«No, this time I want a raspberry cake.» she ordered with a smile before looking back «What happened to the door?»

The boy chuckled for a bit before cutting a slice of cake «To put it simply, two mages burst through the old door in order to 'save' the shop from a group of fake bandits.»

«Fake bandits?»

«Long story...» he put the cake in front of her «...but since you're, most likely, going to the palace, you'll found out about what happened here.»

Emily nodded before eating the cake. After some minutes, she paid for the meal and went to the royal palace where she met a pair of guards in front of the main door «The king called me for a meeting, is he available?»

One of the guards, having recognized her, nodded «Of course. Please follow me, I'll take you to him.» and he went inside with Emily right behind him. After a few minutes, the guard stood in front of the two-wing door of the throne room and knocked three times before opening a door slightly.

«Your majesty, there's a guest for you. It's the Elemental Shadow.» said the guard and, almost immediately, the king replied «Let her in!»

After a brief nod of his head to the girl, the guard left, allowing Emily to enter the room where, to wait for her, there were the king, the head of his personal guards, whose name was Adam if she remembered correctly, and lastly a young girl with long silver hair who was smiling at Emily.

Ignoring her for the moment, she walked to a stop a few feet from the throne where Valener sat, then bowed «Greetings your majesty. As requested in your letter, I came back here as soon as possible.»

«Ah yes, thanks for coming despite the sudden request. I hope I did not interrupt anything, Adam told me that you went to visit your parents.» said the king looking at the young girl who shook her head.

«I was already on my way toward another city so there's no problem with the sudden request even though the reason was not reported.» she explained and the king nodded before looking at the silver haired girl «She is the reason I asked you to come back and will explain everything to you.»

Emily turned her gaze toward the other girl who keep her smile on the face and held out her hand «I'm the high priestess Aika and I'll be the first master of the guild of this city, it's a pleasure to meet you, Emily Knight.»

After a quick handshake, Emily bowed in respect as the high priests and high priestesses were very important figures in Mera.

«The pleasure is all mine, high priestess Aika. How can I help you?»

«First, just call me Aika.» the future master said with a smile «Second, walk with me, I need to talk to you about a lot of things.» and with that, she walked away. Emily bowed toward the king and left short after, leaving the two men in the room.

«Do you think that she'll accept, your majesty?» asked Adam looking at the king who chuckled with a smile.

«Of course, she's strong and willing to help, besides the high priestess is really good with the words.»

«How true...»

§ § § § §

«...and this is why I'm gathering the mages from all over Mera.» said Aika while walking in the castle with Emily at her side. After a couple of seconds, Aika looked at her «So, what do you think?»

«It's...well...I don't really know what to say.» admitted Emily who was visibly surprised by the story of Aika, the previous war and Ruganax «How many mages are part of the guild?»

Aika looked at the roof while thinking about her recruits «I'd say...fifteen or sixteen. Maybe more since I've a 'friend' who is recruiting mages far from here. I can't leave this place right now so I asked him a favor.»

Emily nodded at that and remained silent for several minutes until Aika asked «Do you wish to join us?»

«Yes.» she said without a second of hesitation «Ruganax threatens to make people suffer all over Mera and I can not let him. I want to defend my family and the people I care about.»

A huge smile formed on Aika's face and then she nodded «Glad to hear that. You're pretty strong and I'm damn sure that you'll become a force of nature. So, do you want to meet your future guildmates?»

Emily nodded «I'd like to, master Aika.»

«Master Aika...» the priestess chuckled a bit «I really like the sound of that.»

§ § § § §

Several miles away, at the base of a mountain, a small cottage made of wood and stone was visible in the middle of a clearing. Despite the isolated spot, the structure was in good condition and on the back there was also a medium sized vegetable garden with different types of plants while, about thirty meters from the cottage, there was a little river whose source was right on the top of the mountain.

Currently sitting under a tree near the cottage, there was a young looking man with a book held in his hands. His blue eyes moved slowly across the words, while a gentle breeze blew in his black shaggy hair that reached just below the neck, with the blonde fringe dangling in front of the forehead.

Scratching the X-shaped scar on his left cheek, he made to turn the page when a distant noise caught his attention. It was very weak, almost imperceptible, but for him it was not a problem. The problem was that the sound was an explosion, a powerful one.

Frowning slightly, he stood up and turned to the direction of the sound, noting a column of smoke in the distance.

' _There is nothing in that area, only rocks and trees. What would have caused that explosion?_ ' he thought before hearing a second explosion. Without further hesitation, he ran to the house and grabbed a chokuto blade and a gray hooded sleeveless haori jacket, which featured a white lightning pattern on the bottom edge. The jacket was just the latest piece of clothing, since he was already wearing a black tunic made of cloth with high leather boots, pants and a leather belt over the upper part of the tunic.

A third explosion resounded in the distance, but the man had already disappeared, leaving behind electric sparks.

§ § § § §

A huge cloud of fire and smoke sprung out of the third explosion, destroying the nearby trees with ease, but a lonely figure jumped out of the smoke, making several mid-air somersaults and then landing on the branch of a tree not destroyed by the explosion.

Turning quickly towards the origin of the explosion, the figure threw away a ruined coat used as a protection against the heat. The light gray pupilless eyes of the young girl scanned the smoke and the flames in search of those who had attacked her and, at the last second, she noticed three large iron disks flying toward her position with the intent to seriously hurt her. Acting quickly, the girl jumped down from the branch, losing only a lock of her long gray hair and, after landing, jumped to the right to avoid two other iron disks.

Her large eyes looked at the source of the attack and found a man wearing a black leather armor with a white skull mask over his face.

«Coraline Jones, also called Cora the Colorless. You're really fast, you know?» asked the man while twirling two discs in the hands «Now I understand why the boss sent us to retrieve you.»

She was not even listening, preferring to observe their surroundings.

' _One is here but the other two...?_ ' she asked to herself just when a second man dressed like the first jumped behind her with a glowing yellow sphere in his right hand.

« **Blind Explosion!** » shouted the man before throwing the sphere against Coraline who managed to close her eyes just before the blinding explosion, however the explosion also generated a very sharp sound and a strong whistle sounded in her head, preventing her from hearing anything else. Using her momentary dizziness, a third person came out of her shadow generated by the explosion and hit Coraline in the face with a fist wrapped in the shadows.

The blow slammed the girl into a tree, causing her to let fall to the ground her weapon on the back. Said weapon was a gray bat with a metal tip on the end and white stripes scattered along the handle. Without wasting time, the enemy who had caused the blinding explosion picked it up and jumped away with a couple of leaps while the third man, who had the same uniform as the others, walked toward his comrades, leaving the girl alone against the tree.

«Now, to end this useless game of the cat and the mouse you can choose the good way...» the first man said showing her a pair of metal handcuffs «...or the hard way.» and his two comrades grinned under their mask with the explosion mage nodding to the bat in his hands.

«The hard way please.» said a male voice behind them and, before they could react, the same voice shouted « **Lightning Fangs!** » and three wolf heads wholly made of lightning bit the three men in the shoulders, electrifying and making them scream in pain. Due to the pain, the man with the bat let go of the weapon that was quickly picked up by the one who had attacked them.

Coraline merely blinked once before looking at her right where a man wrapped in lightning with a hood over his face was handing her the bat.

«This is yours, right?» he asked with a calm voice and she nodded picking up the weapon before looking back at the three men who were slowly raising.

«Dark mages uh? Friends of yours?» he asked without looking at her.

Coraline simply stared at them with a blank look «Not really, more like jailers.»

«I see.» the man crossed the arms over his chest before asking «Do you need help?»

«If you can take on the mage who control the shadows I can deal with the other two.» explained Coraline with a calm voice before rushing against her enemies just when they were realizing what had struck them.

The man with the metal discs jumped away while his two comrades tried to stop her. The shadow mage was forced to dodge a spear made of lightning before being hit in the face with a round kick who send him against a boulder, cracking it.

«Sorry, but I'm not a huge fan of you dark mages.» said the hooded man while unsheathing his sword.

«Tsk, you'll regret your kind act!» spat the dark mage before creating two whips made of shadows and jumping toward his new enemy.

A few meters away, Coraline avoided an explosive fist of her opponent and, much to his horror and fear, put a hand on the man's belly whispering « **Drain Magic: Mine.** »

In a matter of seconds, the man felt the magical power leaving his body until it was completely devoid of magic. The masked man then tried to strike Coraline using only his physical strength, but she moved her hand to grab his face and, with a voice devoid of emotion, hissed « **Blast Explosion.** »

After a moment, a light beam generated from her hand, which invested the man's head, but continued for several meters passing through logs and rocks. After the ray had dissolved, the man just had time to blink once before his head exploded in a cloud of flames, smoke and blood, followed immediately by all the objects hit by the beam.

Drops of blood fell on the girl's pale skin and on her long-sleeved sundress with a white ruffled collar, but she did not even blink, merely moving her eyes toward the man with the metal disks who was now sweating under his mask.

«You...you...you monster!» shouted him before throwing several disks, knives, arrows and shuriken against her but Coraline raised her right hand and said « **Hell Snake.** » and a snake made of red flames emerged from her hand attacking the incoming projectiles. Each single flying object exploded mid-air after being struck by the snake which then lunged against the man passing through his chest. The dark mage looked at her with fear in his eyes before vomiting a huge amount of blood in his mask and exploding in a huge cloud of blood, flames and smoke.

Clearing her face from the bloodstains, she turned to the last enemy, just in time to see his head roll over to the ground. The one who had helped her had his sword in his right hand dirty with blood and a calm look on his face, at least from what she could see of his face. Walking toward him, she stopped a few steps away «Thank you for your help.»

«No problem Blanky.» was the calm response of the young man while sheating his blade «Do you know if there are other dark mages? I live close and I do not want to risk destroying my house because of them.»

«My name is Coraline, not Blanky...» she said without emotions «...and no, they were the only ones after me, Mr...» she then looked at him expecting something, namely his name.

«Yusei Riden, a pleasure to meet you Blanky.» he said despite knowing her real name «Why they were after you?»

She looked away showing one of her white stud earrings and did not say anything for several seconds «It's a long story.»

Yusei nodded before pointing behind him «Do you want a cup of coffee or something else? At least you can wash away the blood from your dress.»

She nodded almost instantly and Yusei placed a hand on her shoulder before covering both of them with his lightning and, a moment later, they were flying over the trees toward his cottage, reaching him after a short but especially fast flight.

Walking inside, Yusei made her sit in the living room while he went to the kitchen to prepare some coffee. After a few minutes he returned to her and gave her a steaming cup, then sitting in front of her and removing the hood from his head, freeing his hair.

«So...you were chased by three dark mages. Do you know why?» asked Yusei sipping his coffee.

«Simply put, I ran away from their guild. I was one of their minions and if I was not used to fight they kept me in chains in an isolated room. After three years I managed to escape...» despite the emotionless voice, Coraline showed a mad smile even if for just a second «...killing the guards who were watching me. That happened one month ago.»

Yusei looked at her for some time before asking «Don't you have a place to go back?»

«If I have it, I do not remember it. During my three years of imprisonment I found that the master of the guild erased my memory so I can't remember almost anything but just disagreeable images with no apparent meaning.» she explained «Maybe that's why I do not feel anything. No joy, no sadness, no hatred...every now and then I get a bit sadistic or violent but this is due to my time in that guild.»

«I see...» Yusei looked down at his empty cup. In a sense, they were alike even if for different reasons. His gaze slowly moved to the table in the kitchen where there was an open letter he had received the day before. Despite his enchanted senses, he could not hear or smell anyone in the vicinity, the letter just appeared in front of his main door. Staring at the letter for a few seconds, he decided to go and get to read it one last time, slightly confusing Coraline.

 _§_

 _Dear Yusei Raiden,_

 _also known as 'Storm Lord' or 'Susanoo'_

 _You do not know me, but I know you and everything that I need to know about your magic and your past. I want to warn you that this message will be visible only to you so you have nothing to worry about, also I won't share the most personal information about you with anyone._

 _I have sent this letter to propose to you to join a new guild of light, my guild, which will rise in Zafirus and I want you, and many others, be the first members of this new guild. I know this may sound absurd, but if you will grant me a bit of your confidence and come to Zafirus, I will explain to you and to other mages for what purpose I decided to found a guild._

 _If my explanation will not satisfy you, you will be free to leave._

 _Just know that your decision will change the fate of many other people and that losing control might be the least of your problems._

 _You'll find me in Zafirus, in the king's palace. In four days from now, the guild will be born._

 _I wait for your arrival and that of your future guildmates._

 _Signed:_

 _High priestess Aika, keeper of Mera_

 _§_

' _Aika..._ ' he thought looking at the letter ' _Could she be the same Aika...?_ '

Shaking his head, he looked back at Coraline and raised the letter «Maybe I know someone who can help you, do you want to come with me?»

Coraline looked at him and then at the letter with a raised eyebrow, since she couldn't read it for some reason, before nodding «Sure, I have nothing to do at the moment.»

«Let's go then, it's a long trip from here to Zafirus.» Yusei said before preparing a backpack.

«What about your magic?»

«I can use on other people just for short distances. We will go on foot and if all goes well, we will arrive tomorrow.» he explained and she nodded leaving the house with the lightning mage who locked the house before heading toward the capital of Mera.

At the same time, a high priestess with silver hair could not hold back from smiling.

«Has something happened, master?» asked Seloria who was training in front of her with the new recruit Emily.

«There is nothing to worry about, Seloria. I have the impression that we will soon have new guildmates with us.» explained Aika with a light chuckle.

Emily and Seloria looked at each other for a moment before shrugging ans resuming their spar. If their master believed so, they had no reason to doubt her.

§ § § § §

Across Mera, mages were not a rarity. About forty percent of the population was made up of mages, including the dark ones. As it was well known, after the end of the regular guilds, many mages had decided to look for other types of work, while others had become 'mercenaries' or, worse, they had created dark guilds. That being said, it was not uncommon to hear of some tournaments with different types of prizes including money, fame, important jobs and so on.

At the moment, three mages were sitting on the stands of the arena on the edge of a small town, looking at the various mages in the competition.

One of the two guys in the group could not help but ask «Why are we sitting here and why did we have to exclude ourselves out the tournament?»

«That's simple Lorenzo, if we had taken part in the tournament, it would have resulted in a blood bath that would have brought...» started the girl of the group before being interrupted by the second male «...to my victory over you.»

Lorenzo narrowed is eyes in slightly annoyance «You mean my victory, right?»

' _This human really thinks he can win._ ' added a calm and authoritarian male voice in his head, followed by another voice, this one more dark and deep ' _ **Just let me out so I can put him in his place!**_ '

«I'm pretty sure that I would be the winner without too many problems.» replied the second boy with a grin. Lato was not lying. Having defeated dozens if not hundreds of non-magical dojo over the past seven years, his level of physical strength was far above the average and all this without considering his magic that gave him a huge advantage over his opponents.

' _ **Just let me out! I want to kill this weak human!**_ ' shouted the deep voice in Lorenzo's mind.

' _Tempting, but no. Now shut up Boar, I already have a headache and I do not want to hear you again._ ' thought Lorenzo with an annoyed expression over his face.

' _You could at least try to talk to Karin. She's very attractive and hates demons as much as you, also looks at her 'girls'. You should compliment her about them._ ' said the first voice with a perverted giggle at the end.

Lorenzo had the decency to blush without looking at the girl who was sitting between the two boys. Though they were only one day traveling companions, she had been teasing them for almost the entire duration of the trip, but she had never done anything to make them angry rather she had scared them when they opposed the idea of not taking part in the tournament. In all and all, she was an enigma. An enigma that would not stop teasing them while also showing her 'girls'.

«Now be quiet boys, our target is next.» said Karin with a smile leaning onward as both of them stopped their bickering and focused on the guy who was entering in the arena, showing his silver armor with a black dragon design on the right side that reached all the way to his pectoral. Despite the armor that was covering his whole body, the three mages could see his height, which was around six feet, and the muscular physicist needed to carry such an armor.

«LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HERE IS THE CHALLENGER OF THE NORTH CORNER!» shouted the announcer, a man with a purple elegant dress and a hairstyle that looked like a cactus «RUBY~! THO~RNS! THE HOLY KNIGHT!» and the crowd exulted with screams and applause while many girls shouted his name out loud. Ruby merely greeted his admirers with a bow before stopping at the center of the arena.

«AND NOW THE CHALLENGER OF THE SOUTH CORNER!» shouted the announcer while a huge man with long wild black hair walked in the arena, showing his bare chest and white battle pants «ALEXANDE~R! MERIVO~CH! THE DEMOLISHER!»

The two challengers stared at each other for a few seconds, and when the announcer began the fight, Alexander jumped forward with rocky spikes coming out of his arms. Ruby avoided all the fists with agility in spite of the armor and, after another blow went in vain, he moved behind the opponent summoning a sword in his right hand.

Trying to hit his opponent with a slash from above, his blade rebounded against a rock armor that had quickly covered Alexander's back. Seeing an opportunity, Alexander turned quickly on his heels, creating an ax blade made of rock from his left forearm, but Ruby managed to block it with a second sword then move away with a jump.

«That defense is a problem.» said the knight with a calm voice before looking at his opponent's eyes «Forgive me, but I'm forced to end the fight now! That little girl is waiting for her medicine!» and with that, he jumped high before crossing the arms in front of his face. A silvery aura wrapped his whole body and, stretching out his arms, dozens and dozens of swords materialized around him, surrounding his opponent. Each sword was different from the other, and the same silvery aura wrapped each blade. Moving forward his hands, he whispered « **Swords of Justice.** » and all the swords darted toward Alexander.

Said man widened his eyes in surprise and, shielding his face with his arms, covered his entire body with rocks but the blades easily overcome his defenses, piercing him in the legs and shoulders while causing deep cuts on his arms and hips, since Ruby's purpose was not to kill. The attack lasted only a handful of seconds, but in the end Alexander had at least a dozen swords stuck in his body and several cuts from which flowed a lot of blood.

«Referee, call the match.» said Ruby looking at the man who standing near the wall of the arena, a young man dressed in white «He needs medical attention.»

The young man nodded and raised his hand before pointing at Ruby «The winner of the match, Ruby Thorns!»

Alexander fell to his knees immediately afterwards but Ruby was right next to him and helped his former opponent to get up and then accompany him toward the medics who were already entering the arena. The rock mage looked up at the knight and asked «Why are you...helping me...?»

«This is just a tournament, there's no need to die here.» explained Ruby who was smiling under his helmet but Alexander could clearly see his bright blue eyes which were brighter than most diamonds.

Up in the stands, Karin smiled broadly and said with a nod «He's our man.»

«Are you sure?» asked Lorenzo looking at the knight.

She nodded «I already had some information about him, he is perfect for a legal guild.»

«So, we wait until the end of the tournament?» asked Lato who was also staring at their possible comrade.

«Yes, with his skills, his fights will be short and I'm sure he will win the tournament.» said Karin leaning against the backrest. The two boys exchanged a perplexed look, but in the end they shrugged and resumed to look at the fights.

After two hours, as predicted by Karin, Ruby was declared the winner of the tournament and his prize was a huge amount of money. The knight thanked the announcer and his fan before leaving the arena without noticing that three mages were already missing from the stands.

§ § § § §

«Priestess Awelin!» shouted Ruby knocking at the door of a big building in the center of the town.

After a couple of seconds, someone opened the door and an old lady with gray hair and a worn red tunic stepped outside, looking at the knight with a confused look «Ruby? What are you doing here? I thought that you had left yesterday.»

The boy smiled under his helmet and shook his head «No priestess Awelin, I changed my mind when I heard that there would be a tournament here, so I decided to participate and I also won!» he then placed a huge leather bag in her hands «Here, with these the orphanage will no longer have problems with medicine and food!»

The woman looked at the bag and, after opening it, she nearly had a heart attack «R-Ruby...how much money are there in this bag...?»

«One million jewels!» exclaimed the knight with the nod.

The old woman was really ready for a heart attack but managed to smile and ask «Could you please remove your helmet?»

Ruby arched an eyebrow at the request but in the end he removed his helmet showing his handsome face with shoulder length black hair which covered his left eye. Awelin smiled again before smashing her fist on his head «How many times have I told you that tournaments are dangerous?!»

«Err...seven...?» tried Ruby with a smile while a tic mark appeared on her forehead.

«NO! FORTY-NINE!» shouted the woman before hitting him again «I really don't know what to do with you...if it was not for the fact that the kids love you I would have hit you another dozen times!»

Ruby chuckled at that before showing a wide smile «You can hit me how many time you want, the important thing is that you keep that money, the orphanage needs it.»

«Yes yes yes I know, now leave before I change my mind about hitting you with my bat!» shouted the woman and Ruby ran away with the smile still on his face, leaving behind an angry woman who couldn't help but laugh at that before returning inside. She had an orphanage to carry on after all.

Not too far away, Ruby stopped running and giggled a bit before resuming his journey but a female voice behind him asked «Are you going somewhere?»

Stopping at once, he turned and was surprised to see three people in front of him, more specifically the girl with the maid's uniform who was talking to him. The two guys behind her looked like a swordsman and a martial artist from what he could guess.

«Yes but I do not have a precise destination at the moment. Do you need help?» asked Ruby with a calm voice and a small smile.

«In a sense, more than anything else is Mera that needs help.» said Karin with her smile and a strange glitter in the eyes.

«What do you mean?» Ruby was particularly confused by her words and she could see his confusion.

«To put it simply, me and my friends here...» she nodded toward Lorenzo and Lato «...are going to Zafirus to meet the high priestess Aika after being summoned to the royal palace to help her against a menace that threatens to destroy everything. Her idea is to create a new guild so as to gather all the mages necessary to protect Mera. We thought about recruiting someone during our trip and by chance we saw you fighting during the tournament. So, since you have no destination at the moment, would you come with us? Aika assured us that, after her speech, we will be free to go on our way.»

Ruby looked at her before several seconds before asking «So...Mera is in danger and we can save it?»

«To put it very simply...yes.» nodded Karin.

«You can count on me!» said Ruby with a wide smile placing his fist over the heart «If someone is in danger I must help, no matter what!»

' _ **Great...a fanatic of justice...nauseating...**_ ' grumbled Boar in Lorenzo's head.

' _Well, he does not seem to me a great addition to the future guild. I would have found someone better if you had listened to me._ ' added the second voice with annoyance ' _Well, at least we are sure that this knight w_ _on't_ _turn his back on his allies._ '

' _I guess you're right_ _Verethragna, he does not seem_ _like_ _a traitor._ ' thought Lorenzo with a small smile before wincing at the outburst from both Boar and Verethragna in his head ' _I just hope that Aika can turn their voices off..._ '

«That's good to hear Ruby! Now, for the presentations...my name is Karin Torishima and if you need something, just ask.» said the maid with a seductive smile «The swordsman with serious headache problems is Lorenzo Cortez...» Lorenzo's eyebrow twitched a little at his description «...while the one with the fake smile is Lato Farrona.»

Lato's smile faltered for an instant but in the end he held out his hand «It's a pleasure to meet you, Ruby. You're incredibly strong with those swords.»

«The pleasure is all mine, Lato.» said the knight shaking his hand.

«Well, now that everything is settled let's resume our journey. We have less than four days to reach Zafirus and I do not want to arrive late at the first meeting with our future master.» said Karin with a smile before walking away with Lato, Lorenzo and their new traveling companion behind her.

§ § § § §

On the way to Zafirus, in an area rich in forests and mountains, two figures were advancing quietly. The sun was high in the sky and lacked a few hours at sunset, but none of the two figures seemed tired even though one of them was a little girl of just ten years. Her short red hair waved in the air with her silver cape while her pink eyes looked with curiosity around the area. After a few seconds, the red haired girl looked at the older girl who walked by her side.

«Uh...excuse me Luminis...»

The other girl tilted the head toward her, swinging her flowing blueish white hair which reached just below her average chest and were tied up in twin pigtails at the sides of her head «What is it Izzy?»

«Do you think we will arrive in time?» asked the little girl with anxiety in her voice.

Luminis turned her yellow eyes toward the sky, thinking about a possible answer «I guess that we'll reach Zafirus by the end of tomorrow. We still have three days so there should be no problems...if what you have heard is true, of course.»

«It's true! That merchant said that a priestess is about to create a guild in Zafirus!» shouted the Izzy waving her fists which were covered by a pair of purple gloves, the same color as the t-shirt and pants she wore, coupled with a pair of silver sandals.

«Mh...if you say so...» murmured Luminis arching an eyebrow before shrugging with a smile «Oh who the fuck cares, I have nothing to do. At least I'm sure you'll get there healthy and safe.»

«Do not treat me like a child!»

«But you ARE a child.» remarked Luminis with an amused smirk showing her small fangs.

Izzy narrowed her big eyes before saying «The same goes for you! How old are you? Thirteen, fourteen or maybe fifteen years old?»

Luminis eyes twitched for a second «I'm seventeen.»

«Then why are you so short?» asked again the little girl with a victorious smirk.

«Fucking brat...» hissed Luminis before focusing in the road. Indeed she was really small for her age, just surpassing the five feet tall, and with her skin paler than usual she could be mistaken for a little girl but at least her athletic figure raised doubts about her true age.

«You are not yet an adult...» Izzy said «...so you're a brat too!»

«Oh shut up!» growled the older girl «First and last time that I help a brat in the middle of the street.»

«I heard you.»

«I know, that's why I said it aloud.» replied Luminis with a smirk before shrugging again but this time it was due to the cold air. Looking up, she widened her eyes in surprise at seeing snowflakes falling from the sky «What the fuck...snow in the middle of spring?»

«Yay! Snow!» shouted Izzy jumping around to catch the snowflakes while Luminis was slightly trembling. The temperature was dropping a bit and her clothes were not suitable for the cold seasons, despite the dark blue hooded jacket which covered a light blue undershirt. The legs were the most vulnerable to the cold since she was wearing only short blue shorts and a pair of comfortable blue shoes.

«W-what the hell is going on here?!» she asked looking at Izzy who was also trembling now, the cape wasn't enough to protect her from the cold. When Luminis was about to suggest leaving, they both heard a loud noise in the heart of the forest, as if something had just collapsed.

'Something is going on here...' thought Luminis running in the forest with a surprised Izzy behind her even though she was struggling to keep up.

After a few minutes they reached a wall made of tree trunks and, judging by the two dead bodies near the entrance gate, Luminis guessed that it was a camp of bandits. Walking toward the gate they were invested by a strong gust of icy wind mixed with snow, which forced them to cover their faces with their arms. Cursing their luck, she wandered in the midst of that storm until she passed the gate where there were other bodies waiting for her. None of those bandits showed lethal wounds, but many of them had their necks bent in an unnatural way.

Finally, the storm ceased and they found themselves on the edge of a large crater but it was not natural, but artificial as there were several structures built along the two ground ramps downstream where there was a kind of arena full of motionless bodies. Well, not all of those bodies were motionless.

«What's the problem old man?! Have your bones turned into snow like your brain?» shouted one of the two figures who were currently fighting among the dead bodies. The one who had just screamed was a six feet tall young boy with long wild silver hair and red streaks in them but the things that jumped to the eye were the green aura that completely covered his body and the two little horns on his head.

His adversary was just an old man with worn-out trousers and a fur coat made with the fur of a black wolf; his face was carved in a mask of hatred and anger but the big bruises on his body were clear signs of the progress of the fight since the boy did not even have a scratch on his person.

«Curse you demon!» shouted the man before creating a giant bear made of snow and ice that charged toward the silver haired boy. Said boy merely grinned and vanished from his vision. The old man looked around but, after a mere second, the boy slammed a fist into his back, breaking several bones. The impact brought down the man who managed to turn and create snow eagles sending toward his opponent but all the eagles were destroyed in a matter of seconds.

«Snow magic is so boring and weak...no surprise here since you're weak as well!» shouted the boy before appearing in front of the man. Without hesitation, since the old man was still on the ground, he kicked him in the mouth. The old man rolled for several meters before crashing against the wall of a little house, coughing blood, saliva and teeth.

Noting his unmoving form, the young mage sighed in disappointment «What a failure of a mage.» and his green aura disappeared while his hair became shorter, changing from silver and red to a mixture of black and silver. The horns went back in his skull and the now black-silver haired boy dusted his long black pants which had a cross logo on the side of the legs witch matching black and silver shoes.

The boy looked around and shook hid head before walking away but at the last moment, the old man jumped toward him with a short sword made of snow and ice. His eyes were now full of madness and fear but that didn't stop him from a last attempt at the young boy's life «Die you demon!» but unfortunately, he did not go unnoticed by another pair of eyes.

« **Light Make: Eight Stars Beam!** »

The black-silver haired boy managed to turn on his heels just in time to see eight light beams piercing the old man's body, two for each limb. Said old man widened his eyes in surprise before slumping on the ground. One second later, a young girl with blueish white hair landed near him with a grin on her face «Holy cow! That was a really hard blow! Probably you have fractured his jaw with that kick!»

The boy looked at Luminis with a raised eyebrow before saying «At least I didn't pierce his limb with light beams.»

«How true...» nodded Luminis before looking around «Heh...I was getting pumped up with your fight but you've already defeated everyone.»

«Not me, 'King?' beat them.» replied the boy confusing her.

 **(((A.N: WARNING: the character's name is indeed 'King?' with the question mark so I'll write it between apostrophes just to be safe. I know that it sounds strange but the OC was created in that way.)))**

«'King?'?»

«Yes, a kind of second personality if you can accept that as explanation.» answered the boy before pointing at himself «On the other hand, my name is Justice Aries.»

' _Second personality...that thing with the horns didn't seem like another personality, more like another being..._ ' thought Luminis before showing a little smile «I see, my name is Luminis Myrmidone while the little girl who is running toward us is Izzy.»

Justice shifted his red eyes, with the right one having a scar across it, toward said little girl and nodded at her before focusing again on Luminis «Can I ask why you are here?»

The light mage looked at him for a second, noting just now that his left arm was bandaged, the simple katana on his back and the silver cross black in the middle as necklace. The same necklace was depicted in the middle of his white shirt that covered his toned chest. After that quick glance, she said «We were heading toward Zafirus when we caught sign of your battle, in addition to the snow and cold, so we came here just in time to see you against that old man.»

Justice nodded again and looked again at the surrounding «I guess that I'll take my leave, have a bright day.»

Just for a second, Luminis' eyebrow twitched ' _Was that a joke about my power...?_ '

«Hey wait! Why don't you join us?» asked Izzy looking at Justice who stopped mid-step before looking back at her «Why should I?»

«Well you're a mage so you can help the new guild!» explained Izzy with a nod.

Justice looked at Luminis who merely shrugged «Don't look at me, she's the one who heard about a new guild from a merchant. Apparently someone is going to create a new guild in a few days in Zafirus.»

Justice thought about it for several seconds before shrugging in return «Well...a guild means jobs and fights so I'll give it a try.»

Izzy nodded with a smile while Luminis didn't really care about his choice since there were no obligations. He was free to leave at any time. Despite that, she pointed at the edge of the crater «Well, let's move put then. We can't waste too much time.»

The other two nodded at that and so the new formed trio went toward the capital of Mera.

§ § § § §

«You're telling me that you don't know anything about your target?» asked Daisy. She obviously had 'Are you serious' written on her face.

«Your face tells me that you do not even know in the slightest who I am dealing with.» replied the 'Grim Reaper', looking forward.

«Nobody's ever even seen him and to be honest nobody is even sure whether this person is a male or a female so the soldiers of Mera have decided to prudently assume that the 'Purple Reaper' is a male.»

«Then why 'Purple Reaper'?»

«The only time someone managed to see more than a shadow and lived to talk about it, the witness could only see a purple coat as the 'Purple Reaper' jumped from one roof to another, and then he was gone.» explained the masked boy «Since he was jumping from the building where the last of a long chain of murders had just ended, the soldiers realized that this silhouette the witness saw was the culprit of all those cases since the modus operandi was always the same...well, the modus operandi IS always the same, at least for him.»

«What kind of modus operandi?» asked Daisy, visibly curious about this serial killer.

«The victims are always reduced to a pitiful state, almost unrecognizable, wounds are inflicted a sharp, pointed weapon or something worse like claws...or, if they are unlucky or lucky, they become empty shells who only know how to breathe and look at nothing.» said the boy with a calm voice «I saw one of his crime scenes and I must say that this 'Purple Reaper' is an artist when it comes to tearing apart the human body. A shame that I must kill another mercenary.»

«He's a mercenary like you?»

«More or less. Well, he's an assassin for sure but he's not modest or minimal with his victims and he has yet to kill an innocent. He only goes for corrupt soldiers, other mercenaries, thieves, rapists and so on...if I've to describe him, I'd say that he's confident in his ability to cover his tracks.» said the 'Grim Reaper' «Unfortunately, one of his last victims had a brother who is the boss of a mafia group in the east of Mera and this boss charged me with killing the 'Purple Reaper'. For a good price, of course.»

«But you do not even know what kind of magic he uses...you do not even know if he uses magic!» exclaimed the girl, looking at his mask. He didn't even flinch.

«You're correct but that will change in a matter of hours, we just need to find, and talk to, my contact.» said the boy before looking at the city not far away.

It was time to find his fellow 'Reaper'.

§ § § § §

Vladimir Diaz wasn't having a good day. Despite the morning in the tranquility of his homemade vegetable garden, the day had quickly deteriorated with the arrival of one of his undead hawks that he had summoned to check the surroundings waiting for the 'Grim Reaper'. The masked mercenary had commissioned him to do some researches on one of the local assassins, the 'Purple Reaper', since he was a target on his list.

But back to his bad day, the hawk had warned him of the presence of some low-league mages who were questioning the citizens about a certain necromancer with a devil's tail and pointed ears and since he was a necromancer with pointed ears and a black prehensile tail almost four feet long...they were probably looking for him.

After having dispelled the hawk, Vladimir was set to work to create an escape plan and take refuge somewhere until the arrival of the 'Grim Reaper'.

Due to a series of events, his current home was attached to a brothel and the girls who worked there had promised to help him, preferring to sell false information about him, but since those mages were asking to many people, he was not so sure for his safety. As the saying goes 'Better safe than sorry'.

After hiding some items in his house and preparing a backpack with some stock, he had worn some simple clothes for him but that probably would have attracted attention around, especially the red fez and the white mask which obscured his two color eyes, purple for the left and lime green for the right. In addition to those two bizarre accessories, he decided for a long dark green coat, brown pants, black gloves, a tan scarf and a pair of high brown boots, so as to cover most of his pale skin even if his slightly long silver hair were still visible.

Before heading out, he had left a coded message for the 'Grim Reaper' and after grabbing a weapon similar to an alabard, but with a curved rod and a second blade similar to that of an ax, he left the house and began walking around the alleyways of the city, avoiding the crowded areas. Afterwards he had tried to remain hidden while his hawks were looking for signs of the 'Grim Reaper'.

Keyword 'tried'.

Now, the young necromancer was running in the alleys avoiding occasional darts thrown by a group of mages behind him. Despite being mages they did not despise the use of weapons, it was probably just not to cause too much damage. After all, Nubilias was a city where even the kids could kill, so it was best to keep a low profile, as far as possible.

Turning a corner suddenly, his eyes shone for a moment and, pointing a hand down, Vladimir whispered in a strange language « **Rezurrection.** » and after a brief moment, four skeletal arms emerged from the ground, followed by the rest of the bodies which, without even looking at their creator, jumped at the enemy mages catching them off guard. The two skeletons managed to kill the first two mages with rusty swords but then a third wizard destroyed them with a sphere of fire, turning them into ashes.

By now, Vladimir was running low on energies and his heart was thundering in the chest. After a couple of minutes, he couldn't help but stop in the middle of an alley to catch breath. Looking back, he felt even weaker in seeing seven enemies reaching him with satisfied grins on their faces.

«Well well well, it looks like that our little necromancer is tired huh?» asked the first mage while the others snickered behind him «I must congratulate you since you gave us a hard time and you killed two of my guildmates.»

In that moment, Vladimir managed to see a symbol on the gloves of the various mages, a golden scythe surrounded by a chain.

«You're...members of...Golden Judgment...» muttered Vladimir looking at each of them. Despite their "noble" intentions to eradicate the evil from the world, Golden Judgment was one of the most evil dark guilds. They did everything for money and did not stop at nothing.

«Correct! Right now we're here for an assassination job and you, my friend, are one of our targets!» said the leader of the group walking toward him while summoning a black spear in his right hand.

« **Rezurrection!** » shouted Vladimir with his last bit of energy as five corpses emerged from the ground before assuming a defensive position in front of him. The leader of the dark mages merely grinned at that before hissing « **Dark Swarm.** »

In a matter of seconds, he vomited a huge swarm of black flies that fluttered over the dead corpses, engulfing them in a black mass of insects.

«You shouldn't underestimate us! We know about your magic and, unfortunately for you, my swarm can easily eat your zombies!» laughed the man as two corpses emerged from the swarm, trying to him but the flies blocked them before consuming their rotten bodies. The leader showed a victorious smirk but it died in an instant, as a blade pierced his chest with ease.

Looking down at the weapon, he widened his eyes in seeing that Vladimir was right in front of him with a tired look on his face.

«Those flies can eat rotten corpses...but I'm not a zombie so they are just annoying to me...» whispered Vladimir before removing the blade from his enemy's body. The other mages looked at him with surprise and anger before rushing at him with the intent of killing him.

Seeing them come running, panic and fear made him stumble over by walking backwards. The remaining mages took advantage of that to prepare their spells, but behind Vladimir a female voice shouted « **Clay God's Machine Gun!** » and hundreds of clay bullets hit the mages breaking down several bones and making them fall unconscious.

Vladimir blinked twice before turning around just to see a young girl a little shorter than him with long blonde hair. The girl looked down at him with a little grin and asked «Are you alright?»

The necromancer looked away before nodding slowly. The blonde seemed confused by his attitude thinking that he was wounded or something else and so she placed a hand over his shoulder only for him to jump away from her with a mixture of fear and confusion on his face.

«Hey what's wrong? Are you rea-EEERGH!» she couldn't finish since someone behind her picked the girl up by the collar of her tunic.

«I told you to let me talk to him.» said a masked boy before turning toward the necromancer «It's been a while Vlad.»

«Ah...ah! 'Grim Reaper', y-yes...it's been a while.» replied Vladimir with a timid smile before picking up his weapon «I was looking for you...I mean, I was trying to stay away from them too but...»

«It's fine, don't think about it.» said the swordsman placing down Daisy who glared at him for a second before focusing on the necromancer who looked away.

«Do you have the information?» asked the 'Grim Reaper' and the necromancer nodded before handing to him a folder. He took it and started reading the contents. After a couple of minutes, where Vladimir had done anything to avoid Daisy, confusing and slightly irritating said girl, the 'Grim Reaper' closed the folder «Well, this is unexpected.»

Daisy looked at him with confusion in her eyes «What do you mean?»

«Vlad has used his necromancy to resurrect a victim of the 'Purple Reaper'. Talking with the corpse, yes he can talk with his minions even if they're dead, he found out that our assassin is a young girl who can summon strange creatures.»

«So this famous and dangerous assassin is a girl huh?» asked Daisy with a little grin «Do you know how to find her?»

«Of course, the corpse has described her eyes and hair so she won't be hard to find and when it'll happen here is what we're going to do...» said the 'Grim Reaper' before explaining his plan to an uncertain Vladimir and a not so thrilled Daisy.

§ § § § §

The next day, the winds of insecurity and anxiety blew into the city of Nubilias, finding every nook and cranny with its utter thoroughness. Assassinations and sudden disappearances were nothing new to the place, but even so, the citizens as well as the soldiers stationed in the city were very worried.

One might ask why that was. And the question would be be valid.

The day before, some dark mages had arrived in the city. A large group of at least thirty members with no shortage of elite and powerful mages, all belonging to Golden Judgment, a dark guild well-known in that area of Mera. While their arrival was nothing to worry about, their abrupt disappearance was definitely alarming. Thirty dark mages could not and should not disappear so quickly, considering that they had left some of their luggage in a tavern in the city center, so the citizens had come to a simple conclusion; it was a conclusion anyone who had lived there for some time would come to.

Those mages were dead, and not from natural causes. Whether it was something or someone was not relevant.

«The security chief has issued an arrest warrant for the perpetrator of their disappearance...» read a middle-aged man reading the newspaper with a note of concern in the voice. A drop of sweat went down the side of his face as people walked past outside his grocery store like any other day. Early in the morning was not the time when a lot of people were around and currently his store was empty but this changed when the bell above the front door sounded twice, alerting him.

He had a customer.

«How can I help you?» asked the man still reading the last few lines of the newspaper's front page.

«Aiden.» His only reply was a perfectly level female voice, rooting him to his chair. With his throat suddenly dry and a cold hand gripping his heart, the man slowly lowered the newspaper, his brain registering a really short girl in front of the door, intent on turning the sign hanging from 'Open' to 'Closed' while facing him. Her brilliant blue eyes perfectly visible under the dog-shaped hood of her jacket.

After a few seconds of silence, she approached the counter. Her short pink hair bobbled with each step along with a small black leather bag which was hanging lazily around her waist. Her cute face was the epitome of calmness but the man known as Aiden was strangely terrified and the only word from his lips fell.

«R-Ranmaru...»

She said nothing until she was in front of the counter pointing at the warehouse door where he kept his inventory.

«The usual.» Her voice wasn't that of a little girl and Aiden was reminded of the first time he had met her, believing that she was actually a little girl when she was actually sixteen. A small bit of color returning to his face, Aiden nodded and walked to the warehouse as she took a petite book from her jacket and began to read.

After entering in the warehouse, he closed the door calmly and then looked around with eyes brimming with anticipation and just a hint of fear. He saw the small window that faced the alley behind his shop. He was lean enough that he could have gotten out from there so he approached the window to open it but only then noticed the chains on it, locked together by two tough padlocks dangling just below the window sill. Forcing down the rising sense of despair, he turned to the vent which had an outlet on the roof. It would be tight and uncomfortable, but he could still climb along it, so he walked toward it and removed the protective grille.

The sudden stench of death forced him to cover his nose and mouth to avoid vomiting. Looking inside the vent, he could not help but feel his heart stop a few seconds from the utter despair when he saw the heads of at least ten men stuck in said vent, secured with tendons and hooks. Shakily, he stood up despite feeling weak in the knees, took some paper bags and filled them with some goods before leaving the warehouse.

Ranmaru was still there, reading her book with no readable expression. She would usually ask if there were new spices, but obviously, that was not happening today. And to think she'd been such a loyal customer too.

Today she wasn't Kuroda Ranmaru. Today she was someone completely different. And much more lethal.

Slowly making his way behind the counter, Aiden put the three bags on the wooden surface and looked at the girl. Noticing the newspaper still on the counter, the man decided to try one last thing. After all it couldn't get worse if he tried. After grabbing the newspaper, he bowed to put it under the counter but at last moment he let it go and exchanged it for a hidden Magnum and pointed it at the girl.

Without hesitation he armed the hammer of the Magnum and said «I'm sorry!» before pulling the trigger.

 _CLICK!_

His heart nearly stopped beating in that moment while his eyes widened in utter horror. He tried to shoot again...and again...and again...

In the end he opened the cylinder of the gun and looked at the six empty holes of said cylinder.

In complete shock, unable to even cry, he almost calmly put the gun on the counter as she continued to read her book. Sending a glance his way (Aiden couldn't tell. Was it concern? Pity? Amusement?), she put it away and took two of the bags before placing a closed envelope next to the gun.

«You've been decent to me, and never once have you taken advantage of me. Which is the reason why you won't get any such treatment from me.» she said looking him straight in the eye. Taking the third bag, she added, «I dislike traitors; but I despise an incompetent one. Farewell, Aiden.» and with that, she left the shop, leaving behind the pale and confused man who looked down at the envelope.

Swallowing audibly, he took the envelope, opened it with trembling hands, and emptied the contents.

A wad of cash came out, the precise price of his goods. Aiden frowned.

Then came a piece of folded paper and a pen. His brows relaxed, almost understanding.

What came next sealed his fate.

There were ten pieces of human skin and on each piece there was the Guild Mark of Golden Judgment, and mixed among the skin was something small, metallic and shiny.

Aiden took it out, peeled away a piece of skin that had stuck to it and looked.

A bullet. For a magnum. His magnum.

It was as if his eyes had opened to truths he had never seen before.

Soon, the other members of the dark guild would come hunt him down and torture him until his death. After all, as far as they were concerned, he was indirectly the cause of the loss. Ranmaru had simply given him another way out. A quick and painless death by his own hands would be infinitely better than a slow and painful death by the hands of those dark mages.

She had even thought to let him write his will. Aiden supposed he should be grateful.

- **30 minutes later** -

Setting down the pen and sealing the paper filled with writing in the envelope, he inserted the bullet into the cylinder and primed the Magnum before pointing it into his mouth at his upper jaw.

A few seconds later, Ranmaru heard the sound of a gunshot, put away her book and, thanking the shack owner who'd lent her a stool, went on her way, humming a tune her mother used to sing to herself.

Aiden was truly a good, honest merchant. He'd given her the best of what he had, and she could feel it: the bags were heavier than what she expected in her pocket.

Taking a lateral alley to get away from the main street, she narrowly avoided slamming into a girl who was walking in the opposite direction.

«Oh I'm sorry! I wasn't looking where...!» started the girl but Ranmaru merely shook her head.

«Nothing happened, so there is no need to apologize.» she said, raising her head to look at the girl, just in time to see the weird sparkle in her light blue eyes.

Surprise. Pure, simple surprise with no trace of ignorance.

Her brain gave her an answer immediately ' _She knows who I am._ '

It was not a hunch, a question or a hypothesis. It was simple a confirmed fact. That girl with blond hair knew that, under the dog-shaped hood, the 'Purple Reaper' was looking directly at her.

After a second, which was spent on thinking, Ranmaru kept walking at a perfectly even pace, never going faster or slower. Behind her, Daisy recovered from her surprise and ran to her.

Ranmaru knew that her secret identity had now been revealed but she did not want to face that mage, the huge amount of magic power was easily perceivable, not with the risk of ruining her food supplies.

So, without saying a word, she turned a corner before Daisy could reach her. The God Slayer ran faster and, after turning the same corner, jumped over to the girl who was just a few feet away from her. However, after grabbing her for a shoulder, Daisy saw her target slump to the ground.

«What the...?» without thinking, she looked at the face of the 'Purple Reaper' only to see the empty face of a dummy. Widening her eyes in surprise, she noticed in that moment that the dummy was wearing different clothes compared to the real 'Purple Reaper'. The real target, in fact, was wearing a pair of blue jeans with black leather boots and not some simple pants with worn out shoes, besides the fact that the dummy's jacket was brown and not blue.

«This is a mime dummy. She replaced herself with this thing...?» asked Daisy looking around «They need time to be prepared so...» a little grin showed on her face «It was prepared in advance. How interesting!» and with that she jumped on a roof, scanning the streets below.

After a few seconds a small shadow caught her attention and, looking up, she saw an undead hawk evoked by Vladimir, intent on going in circles over her before heading towards the wooded area outside the city. Intuing the message, the girl jumped down the street and began chasing the hawk.

Daisy ran for several minutes before stopping in the middle of the woods.

The 'Purple Reaper' was in front of her, leaning against a rock on the side.

The assassin was turning something around her fingers and, looking closely, Daisy recognized the skull of a small bird, a hawk if she had to hypothesize the animal.

An undead hawk if she had to imagine the exact animal.

' _She knew she was being followed by that undead hawk and took it out of the way...which means that maybe she..._ '

«It's been a long time since the last time I saw one of Vladimir's summons.» said Ranmaru looking at the skull.

' _Okay, she knows Vlad._ ' thought Daisy with a sigh before asking «Why did not you escape? Without that hawk I can not hope to find you in the middle of this forest.»

Throwing away the skull, she walked in the middle of the road «You're a hot-head.» Ranmaru said with a calm voice «Your posture, your gaze and your...tact with the mime dummy. All these elements allow me to understand that you are a person inclined to action and I can tell that you're not new to mortal fights.»

Seeing the face of the God Slayer, Ranmaru guessed that she had got it right so she added «However you don't stink of blood, which means that you don't like to kill but just to fight. I am not new to the assassins sent to kill me but you are a foreign mage without a guild and for sure you are not a mercenary nor an assassin. I can feel your magical power and with so much energy you should be well known in town but I have never heard of you and yet you've been able to get the help of that necromancer...» she raised one finger «There are three hypothesis to explain this situation. One, you are the person who, according to what some citizens say, helped him a few years ago and, while looking for some opponents, you decided to go to him to get help to find the 'Purple Reaper' so that you could fight with me. Though reliable as a hypothesis, no one has ever seen you in Nubilias and many bartenders take into account all the mages who pass by here.»

Ranmaru then raised a second finger «Two, you came here looking for mages to fight and you found Vladimir. From what I know, he is not very strong and a person with your power level could safely beat him so you decided to use him as a temporary ally to look for another opponent, that is me. This is the less plausible hypothesis because I can easily guess that you are not such a person. Rather than fighting against weaker mages or using them to find other opponents, you would rather look for a worthy opponent alone. However he was helping you and this brings us to the third hypothesis, the most plausible.» she raised the third finger looking at looking at Daisy right in the eyes.

«You are not alone. You are traveling with other people, though I'm more inclined to think that your company is limited to a single person. Thanks to this person you met Vladimir and he used his magic to get information about me, such as my appearance. That's why you were surprised when you saw me in the alley. You recognized me.» she looked for a brief moment at the city behind Daisy «However, the reason for wanting to fight with me is unknown. I'm not the strongest mage in the area, I'm sure about that. I'm the most prepared and versatile but there is a certain dark mage who has a lot more power than me and he's not as hard to find as I am. This leads me to think that the person who was traveling with you has been commissioned to kill me but for some reason you found me and you followed me alone. That means you want to deal with me alone, probably driven by a code of honor.»

Looking at the God Slayer, who had an incredulous look on her face, Ranmaru knew that she had guessed right all over the line. Nothing new here.

Recovering from her astonishment, Daisy asked «Why did you suppose that I was with a single person?»

«Several reasons. First of all, Vladimir. I do not know him personally but I know how he acts and how he thinks and I'm sure there are not many people in his "circle of friends".» explained Ranmaru «In addition, new people in this city are rare and the rumors begin to take shape. The more the group is bigger, the more rumors are fast to travel and in a city like Nubilias rumors can become dangerous information, especially when there are people ready to buy and sell those information.»

For a moment, Aiden's face and the dark mages of Golden Judgment appeared in her mind, but then faded out as they had come.

«That doesn't explain why you are talking to me right now since you know that I want to fight against you.» pointed out Daisy with an arched eyebrow.

«Like I said, you're a hot-head. If I was hidden you would simply have used more drastic methods to find my hideout, maybe because you have a time limit to fight me or because you do not want your allies to find me, therefore I'll humor you for now but when I win you will have to leave and never look for me again.» said Ranmaru relaxing the muscles of the arms and legs.

«Overconfident aren't we?» asked Daisy with a little grin while channeling magical power in her arms.

The 'Purple Reaper' did not say anything and stood still with her arms stretched along the body.

«Well...if you just want to wait...» after a brief moment of silence, Daisy ran forward with all the intent to hit her opponent, but Ranmaru had another idea and, with a swift movement of the wrist, she took out a card from the sleeve of her jacket before lifting it up to the sky.

« **Nightmare, clad in purple! Messenger of the night who crawls out of shadows! Necromancer Yakumo, rise!** »

A sudden purple flash temporarily blinded Daisy forcing her to stop her charge. After a couple of seconds, she opened her eyes and was slightly surprised to see a strange humanoid creature in front of her.

Despite the appearance of a tall purple-skin man wearing a hakama, the summoned creature had eight spider legs coming out of his back with spider-like glasses covering the eyes and a golden staff in the right hand.

However, she did not have the opportunity to observe it for a long time as a strange feeling of tiredness took hold of her body. Without being able to react, Daisy collapsed on her knees with light purple electricity visible over her body. At the same time the ground began to shake and, next to the creature evoked by Ranmaru, four zombies emerged from the ground. A bear, two wolves and a soldier with a rusty armor.

« **Resurrection.** » said the 'Purple Reaper' with a calm tone of voice «When I summon Yakumo, one of my opponents is automatically incapacitated if I am standing alone and, thanks to him, up to four dead entities in this area come back to life.»

' _She can summon a creature that in turn can resurrect the dead?_ ' thought Daisy raising her head ' _The magic of this Yakumo is similar to that of Vladimir..._ '

«I won't kill you but that doesn't mean that I will let you go without a scratch.» Ranmaru snapped her fingers and at the same time the five summons attacked Daisy aiming at the limbs and, in the case of Yakumo, her head. Nevertheless, when their blows hit the mark, Daisy's body turned into a mass of clay from which several sharp blades and spikes sprouted.

In a single instant, all five summons were torn to pieces.

Ranmaru did not even blink, and after a few seconds of silence she jumped back to avoid at the last possible second a big hammer made of clay that stuck in the ground, creating a crater and a shock wave.

«Judging by your reaction...you had expected such a move.» said Daisy as her right arm returned to its original form.

Suddenly, the ground glowed purple and the symbol for "seal" appeared under her feet, while a card materialized in Ranmaru's right hand.

' _I'll take that as a yes..._ ' thought Daisy looking at the ground before sighing ' _Oh well, better hurry up before the situation gets out of hand!_ '

Looking at her opponent, she began to inhale up to completely fill the lungs, while arching her back.

« **Clay God's...!** »

Ranmaru narrowed her eyes thinking of all the attacks of which he was aware ' _That must be a God Slayer's Bellow. I need to dodge!_ ' and she jumped behind the boulder where she had been waiting for Daisy, who leaned forward screaming « **Song!** »

A massive wave of clay drops came out of her mouth and invested all that stood in front of her, but Ranmaru noticed that nothing was being destroyed by that attack, not even the leaves or the grass.

Once the attack was over, she understood the real sense of that offensive.

The clay was rapidly drying up, thus creating a sort of protection around what had been hit but a living being like her, that was not a protection but a prison.

'By using that attack she can trap her enemies before hitting them with a decisive blow.' summed up Ranmaru glancing at Daisy who was painting with a confused look on her face.

«What the...why am I tired?» she asked to herself «That attack shouldn't cost me so much power...»

«Looks like the effect of my **Fuurin** **Kazan** is sorting the desired effect.» mumbled Ranmaru walking out of her shelter.

«What are you talking about...?» asked the God Slayer before looking at the ground with narrowed eyes «That strange glow...»

«Correct. That was one of my spells and as you can see, your attacks will cost you more magic power than necessary.»

«What a cheap shot...» growled Daisy forcing her body in a defensive position with her arms ready to strike.

«Call it as you like.» shrugged Ranmaru unsheathing a small dagger with her right hand «Time to finish this.»

With incredible speed, the 'Purple Reaper' zeroed the distance between them but, before she could slash Daisy's left leg, the God Slayer screamed « **Clay God's Armament!** » and a tick armor of clay covered her whole body blocking the blade which managed to crack the defensive spell, surprising Daisy.

' _What the hell is that dagger? It should have ended shattered against my armor!_ '

' _So she also has a defensive spell and is quite effective if my blade did not manage to destroy it in one shot._ '

Ranmaru looked up and avoided a rapid fist of Daisy, who was now even more tired due to the Fuurin Kazan's effect which was still active. Taking a step back, Ranmaru tried to strike her opponent with a piercing attack aiming at the right shoulder, so to significantly weaken her but Daisy's streak of victories wasn't just for show and despite her current weakness, she managed to use another spell « **Clay God's Liquefy!** »

Without too much distortion, her body turned into liquid clay and the black dagger passed right through her without harm. Leaning to the left, she hardened her body again, bent her left arm and aimed for Ranmaru's open right flank.

On the other side, as soon as she felt her attack and concluded it to be ineffective, Ranmaru reacted immediately, spinning the blade into a reverse grip to hit Daisy from behind while calling a new card into her hand. Her blade should be faster than the Spell...

' _Try stopping this!_ ' thought Daisy, thrusting her spiked fist forward with all her determination.

' _If I want to stop her I have to take this blow._ _ **Sharing Pain**_ _._ ' the card pulsed green, but before the two sorceresses could hit each other a third voice shouted « **Rezurrection!** » and two zombies jumped out from the ground, one behind Daisy and the other between them.

The first managed to catch the dagger though the spine, blocking the attack; the second, the soldier summoned by Yakumo, raised his rusty shield and blocked Daisy's shield. The impact destroyed the shield and the zombie, pushing Ranmaru away with the shock wave. The small girl skipped two steps and spun around, four cards in hand, all subtly pulsing with magic.

The God Slayer was, however, pushed back the same way but landed on her butt, as she had been hit by the shock wave. She had no time to think about that particular detail because she heard someone walking behind her.

Looking back, she saw Vladimir and the 'Grim Reaper' with an undead hawk circling high above them.

«Time's up.» said the masked boy with his distorted voice while looking at his target who was looking back evenly, and either she was hiding her worry very well, or she was almost comforted by the presence of the traveling mage. She definitely looked more relaxed than any of them.

«Really now? Couldn't you wait another minute?» Grumbled an irritated Daisy, glaring daggers at the swordsman while Vladimir tried to make himself as small as possible, clearly anxious about the whole situation.

A single «No.» was the simple answer as he walked past her, stopping ten meters from Ranmaru. «'Purple Reaper'.»

«'Grim Reaper', so you're that guy's friend? Or...partner?. I...suppose I should be surprised?»

«You already knew, did you not?»

«Not really, but you were the only probable option among my other impossible theories.» Ranmaru admitted, sheathing her weapon.

He arched an eyebrow under his mask. «No blade for me?»

«No letter for me? Or did you want a fight?»

The 'Grim Reaper' and Daisy looked at her with disbelief while Vladimir was just confused. What letter?

«What...?»

Without another word, Ranmaru took a letter from her jacket sleeve, showing it to them.

The 'Grim Reaper' slowly looked back at Daisy who was touching her clothes in search of her letter which, apparently, had disappeared.

«How?! It was here, I swear!» she looked at the 'Purple Reaper' «When?!»

«When you missed me with that gigantic hammer of yours. You left your entire mid flank open, by the way.» explained Ranmaru looking again at the black wearing swordsman «So?»

«Why do you think there is a letter for you?»

«Because there is someone, a certain high priestess, who is recruiting mages for a new guild in Zafirus and this person has the support of the Royal Court, or more to the point, the King. The wax seal on this letter is broken from opening the letter, but it is easily recognizable as the King's. Also I can not read the contents of the letter but I recognize the spell and it is a very rare spell to be found around, so it must be the priestess's work.» she pointed the letter at Daisy «That means she has been recruited to be part of that guild, probably through this letter. Besides, if all of you were part of this new guild you would not be here to hunt me down so you, and probably Vlad-I-don't-want-to-be-noticed over there, have not been recruited yet.»

«Why ask me?»

«That girl only has her own letter. Vladimir has always been here. You, on the contrary, travel a lot...so you are perfect...as a p...»

«If you would like a fight, I invite you to finish that sentence...» hissed the 'Grim Reaper' with a hand on the hilt of his sword.

«Come now. Do you really want to do this? Here, of all places?» the seal for **Fuurin Kazan** suddenly flared, and purple smoke billowed forth, covering the whole group up to the ankles before disappearing.

' _So..._ ' Daisy thought ' _..._ _she had another one in place._ '

«Yes. Without hesitation if you'd finished that sentence. I've already spared the person who was flirting with me.» said the swordsman thinking about Karin with a hint of annoyance in his voice «And anyway, why would you be interested? You're an assassin like me. Why join a legal guild?»

«Your analogy is incorrect. While we both kill for money on many occasions, I'm not exactly like you. You know who I kill, and I know you've killed a lot of people even though you wouldn't benefit from it in the slightest, apart from what you can loot from the bodies. That, and those people were innocent.» intoned Ranmaru, dangerous edge in her voice and one of the cards shuddering from magic, ready to jump out and take effect. «As for my interest in joining the guild, I have my reasons which you probably don't have to know about.»

The 'Grim Reaper' was silently for a few seconds, looking down at the plain earth, where he knew **Fuurin Kazan** was still active, then at the shaking card in her hands and, with an eye-roll, handed her a letter with the royal seal stamped on it. She took it and began to read quietly as he handed a letter to Vladimir too.

«Do you think I should join the guild?» asked Vladimir sparing side glances at the two girls while Daisy was trying to recover her magic power, after getting out of the second **Fuurin Kazan**.

«Do as you wish, it's not mandatory.» answered the 'Grim Reaper' with a shrug.

«Okay...then...then I'll try with this guild.» nodded the necromancer with a smile and wagging his tail.

«The High Priestess Aika huh?» mumbled Ranmaru with a slight surprised face «This is definitely interesting. Another reason for me to go to Zafirus.» putting away the letter, she walked away «I'll be back. I just need to eat a chocolate mousse, prepare a backpack and then we can leave.»

Daisy looked at her with a curious look «A chocolate mousse? Now?»

Ranmaru stopped mid step and looked back at her with a hard look. «It's been several hours since my last one. I'm not starting a trip without eating that mousse, so deal with it.» and with that, she disappeared in the woods, returning to her hidden lair, which suddenly hit Daisy like a piece of pottery exploding in the furnace: she still didn't know where it was.

Daisy looked back at the other two «What's wrong with her?»

Stepping out of the **Fuurin Kazan** circle and watching the trap card dissipate (Ranmaru must've felt it and recalled the card), the dark eyes of the mask looked at her for a second. «I have been asking myself the same thing about you ever since that moment when I heard your voice.»

«HEY!»

§ § § § §

Aika walked with a broad smile on her face, greeting the various servants who stopped to bow to her before resuming their duties. Turning a corner, her smile seemed to widen to the sight of a huge wooden door that separated her from one of the main halls of the castle of the king.

The long-awaited day had finally arrived.

The guild that was to oppose Ruganax was about to be born and all the mages who had decided to help her had been assembled before her arrival. Twenty-five mages had answered the call, though in different ways than her letters, and more than thirty had preferred to stay where they were.

«Such a pity...» said the soon-to-be master «During the last war there were more than a thousand mages but I think that Ruganax will also have his ranks reduced to the bone. These twenty-five mages will have to give their best to survive what awaits them...»

Opening the door, she entered the huge hall decorated with fine tapestries and curtains, columns made of pure marble and several banners hanging from the ceiling, all of them completely white. Looking at her left, she saw the 'Grim Reaper' leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over the chest while, around the room, twenty-five people were chatting among themselves, although some preferred to keep their distance from the rest of the group.

«Hi there, how are you doing?» she asked the masked swordsman who side-looked at her.

«None of your business. Do what you have to do and get it over with. I have other things to do.» hissed the boy before nodding toward the mages «They already know about Ruganax, some of them have explained the situation to those who did not know anything.»

«Thanks for telling me, ray of sunshine.» smirked Aika before getting on a small wooden platform at the other side of the hall.

Around her, the various mages noticed the high priestess' presence and stopped talking so they could watch the girl who had decided to oppose Ruganax for the second time.

After a couple of seconds, she looked at them with a serious face without any trace of joy or happiness «Welcome everyone. Before proceeding further, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. All of you are here for a reason, namely to stop Ruganax before he and his army of demons can conquer Mera. Two hundred years ago I managed to defeat him but apparently it was not enough because now he is back and will try again to destroy all humans. I am sure that you all have dreams, goals, ambitions...and yet today you are here, in front of me.» she paused for a second, looking at each one of them «I will not lie to you, in case you decide to stay here and fight for Mera, know that you will face almost impossible challenges and I feel no pride in telling you this, but there is the possibility that not all of you will survive until the end of the conflict. Ruganax is an extremely powerful, evil and unscrupulous demon, and his generals are like him, they will not have problems killing anyone who tries to stop them. Soldiers, mages, civilians...they will kill every single human. In the last war, over half of the mages who took part in the conflict died fighting his demons, many of whom were my friends. As I said in the letters, none of you is forced to stay here and fight, but if you decide to leave, I only ask you to spread the word about this guild because right now we need all the help we can to stop that demon.» she remained silent for a few seconds «If any of you want to leave, please do it now, because if you decide to stay, you can not go back. We will fight to protect Mera until the end.»

A surreal silence fell on the hall and, from his position, the 'Grim Reaper' looked at each of the mages present, wondering if anyone would leave the room but after a few seconds, he saw a young woman with red and gray hair come forward.

Seloria put a hand on her chest and bowed slightly before looking at Aika straight in the eye «High priestess Aika, when you told me your story, I saw in you a wise and determined person, able to make the right decisions. You asked me to fight by your side and I will do it because it is my duty to protect Mera and all the people I love from those demons. I choose to stay.»

At her side, Mary stepped forward as well «I'm not as strong as Seloria...maybe I'll never be, but I do not want to let those demons destroy Mera. I...I want to stay and help as I can!»

«I told you when we met, right? If I can help, I'm more than happy to do it! Obviously I choose to stay!» said Fowler with a wide smile and a thumbs up.

«You can count on me too. Fighting against an army of demons will be quite interesting!» grinned Nero nodding toward Fowler «If he stays, I'm staying too. Someone must prevent him from being killed.»

Emily was the next one as she looked at Aika with a smile «I want to protect my family and if my power will help your cause, then I will do my best. I will stay too, master Aika.»

«You said you could help me.» said Dyvern with a voice as cold as ice «If to achieve my goal I must help you defeat that demon, so be it. I will stay here.»

«Protecting the innocent from those monsters is something to which I can not say no!» exclaimed Lillian with a smile on her face «I will definitely stay!» and in her mind she could almost feel a grin of the entity inside her ' _ **It's been a long time since I last fought against demons. I hope I have not lost my touch.**_ '

«My brother and I may disagree on several things, but we both know that not helping you defend our home would be a cowardly act. You can count on us! We stay!» nodded Ito pointing at himself while speaking for his brother too.

«I can not allow those demons to harm my family. I will stay here and help you fight against this Ruganax.» said Adrian leaning against a column with his sword beside him.

«You don't even have to ask me! I will stay here and I will defend all those who can not do it! I will not let those demons win!» shouted Ruby slamming a fist against his chest with a smile.

«If those demons manage to conquer Mera, all the forests will be wiped out and I can not let it happen! I will also stay here!» declared Rayna standing alongside Seloria.

«My sister is out there somewhere...and those demons are a threat to her. I will stay here and help you.» said Lato while mentally adding ' _Until I'll find her of course, then you're on your own._ '

«You can add me to the group as well.» smiled Karin even though her smile was decidedly disturbing «I will incinerate any demon that will try to conquer Mera. From the first to the last.»

«Those demons are simple parasites that must be eliminated.» hissed Lorenzo with venom in his voice «I will stay here and fight to the end to exterminate them.»

«Demons are not the only existing threat. Dark mages and dark guilds continue to spread the chaos around Mera and you can be sure that I will stay here to fix things. Killing demons is a well-liked bonus.» said Beatrice with a little grin while nodding at Aika.

«Those demons seem like a great way to get stronger. I will not let them have an easy life with me.» said Daisy while cracking her knuckles «I'll stay for sure.»

Behind her, Vladimir leaned slightly, having developed somewhat some form of friendship with Daisy on the way to Zafirus «I...I...I'll help too. I do not...k-k-know how, but...but I will do my best t-t-to help you w-win.»

«The same as Mr Stutterer here said.» spoke Yusei while pointing at Vladimir «This is still my home and I will not let those demons destroy it.»

Beside him, Coraline almost seemed to use him as a shield to be seen by as few people as possible «I have no memories of my life and I have no place to go. Helping you seems the right thing to do so I will stay here.»

«An army of demons and only a small guild ready to stop them? More than easy I would say.» grinned Luminis «Time to kick some asses!»

«I have no reason to stay here but I see no reason why I should leave. Fighting against those demons could be interesting. I'll stay.» said Justice with a shrug.

«I'll stay too!» shouted Izzy jumping on the spot «I want to help and I'll fight with you!»

«You said it in your letter. If those demons will prevail, many children will lose their parents in atrocious ways and I do not want it to happen.» said Remi with a nod without showing any emotion.

Not needing time to think, Ranmaru immediately said what she thought «Not fighting against demons would be tantamount to condemning Mera but fighting them with such minimal numbers is like a suicide. I will stay here, for my reasons, but also because I know you will not simply throw yourself at the enemy. It would be rather disappointing to see you come up with such a plan.»

Aika grinned at her, but then looked again at all the mages before her who had decided to stay despite the risks. Bowing toward them, she showed a huge smile «Again, thank you. For your trust and for your help. Today a new guild will be born! It is time for dark demons and wizards to understand that the end of their crimes is near!»

Clapping the hands over her head, the banners hanging from the ceiling changed color, turning sapphire blue with a white sun in the center, whose rays were actually angel wings.

«From now on, we will be the shield of Mera! No matter how, no matter when! We will be here to protect our home! From today onwards we are Last Hope!» shouted Aika raising her fist with the mark of the newborn guild on the back of her hand.

The mages in front of her shouted as well and the young priestess could not help but smile even more. It was time to get back on the battlefield and her guild would be ready for Ruganax.

She was sure of it.

§ § § § §

On top of a hill not far from Zafirus, a solitary figure was observing the city with a hidden interest in the eyes. The wind fluttered the black cloak and the figure slowly turned the head to look back, throwing a small black sphere to the ground that shattered, generating a large cloud of dark smoke.

In a few moments, from the smoke began to emerge humanoid creatures similar to large lizards, armed to the teeth with bat wings on their back and long horns.

The figure smiled at them «The city is all yours. Master Ruganax wants to see what Aika's mages are capable of...do not disappoint him.»

The first creature to come out of the smoke nodded before screaming «Prepare yourself for the battle! It's time to kill those weak humans!»

As the other demons roared, the grinning figure couldn't help but look at the city again «Let the show begin...»

* * *

 **Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that's it, end of the third chapter (and last recruitment chapter)!**

 **Start now by saying that I'm really sorry for my huge delay but several things have happened that have prevented the arrival of this chapter, including one ruined file that forced me to start again and several unfortunate events happened to a person who had to look at some pieces of the chapter for me.**

 **But at least, it's here! I hope that you liked it!**

 **From now on the story will begin for real and the chapters will arrive more frequently, you can be sure about that! In the next chapter I want to say that all the OCs will be able to show off their powers against demons! Some blood always makes everyone happy after all, right?**

 **I still apologize for the delay and see you next time!**

 **Have a good day/night!**


End file.
